'Pakistan music was playing, their fans were up. It was nerve-wracking': Karthik on 'sinking feeling' vs PAK in T20 WC

The clash between India and Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup was among the most memorable in the rich history of the rivalry between the two sides. Virat Kohli, the star India batter, produced an incredible unbeaten knock in the group stage match, remaining unbeaten on 82 as he helped India mount a brilliant comeback to help the side reach a four-wicket win at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Dinesh Karthik during the T20 World Cup 2022(file photo)

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who was part of India's XI in the Pakistan clash, has now revisited the game and spoke about some of the key moments from the game. Karthik endured a failure in the game, being dismissed at a key moment in the run-chase for just 1. Pakistan had posted 159/8 in their 20 overs, and India chased down the target on the last ball of the match, with Ravichandran Ashwin hitting the winning runs.

3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India's undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updates here!

Karthik spoke about Rohit Sharma's early dismissal in the match and also touched upon Axar Patel's run out, Kohli's brilliant down-the-ground six against Haris Rauf, his own dismissal, and Ashwin's winning run from the match.

“Nervous (when Rohit was dismissed). Minimum nervous. Because he was a key wicket. In the Asia Cup, he actually batted well against Pakistan. So, yes, nervous,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.

“When Axar got run out... I was a little upset with Axar. But again, it wasn't completely his fault. It was how loud the MCG was that day. It was one of the best atmospheres I had played in. There were 110,000, and it was slightly cold. It was a very different day with a lot of noise. It was memorable for sure, but it didn't feel that way when Axar was run out.”

On Kohli's shot, Karthik stated that it was one of the best strokes played in T20 World Cup history. “That itself was very good. What a shot that was. It was one of the shots in the history of the World Cups. Forget that World Cup. Backfoot six against someone bowling 145 on a bouncy MCG pitch under pressure when the game was on the line. It doesn't get better than that,” said the former India star.

A ‘sinking feeling’

Karthik was stumped out by Mohammad Rizwan in the second last delivery of the match, with India still requiring two runs to win. Ashwin, who was the next batter, cleverly left a delivery wide down the leg side to ensure the scores level. He eventually charged down the ground to launch the final delivery over mid-off for a single, sealing India's win.

"I kept getting ready for batting, where I had a warm-up ritual. These guys kept batting, and I didn't get batting till about the 19th over (20th). It became more cold, I wore two more layers. I was hoping these guys would finish the game, but there was a twist, and Hardik ended up getting out.

“I remember walking into the ground; I was probably about as nervous as I've ever been. Pakistan music was playing because the wicket fell, and all Pakistan fans were up and about. It was very nerve-wracking. I looked to sweep the ball, the shot I play very well, it was right under my strong zone, I thought I hit it, it hit my thigh-pad, I didn't know where the ball was, and I got run out. It was a very sinking feeling, I must say,” said Karthik.

On Ashwin's winning run, Karthik stated the memories following the victory are still fresh in his mind.

“After I got out, I sat in my seat and a good noise came. My superstition is that I keep sitting there if something good happens. So, I didn't see last two balls live. The first noise was for Ashwin leaving the ball, the presence of mind to do it... and then, the shot where he moves away and hits over mid-off. I just remember running to the field, the memories are just very fresh and one I'll never forget in my life,” said the wicketkeeper-batter.