Would Rohit Sharma do a Babar Azam and have the spinner R Ashwin for the last over? Or would he bring him on for the third-last over? He went for the latter. No luck. David Miller swung two massive sixes to long-off boundary to turn the tide further. Already, the game had two massive turning points when Virat Kohli dropped Aiden Markram and Rohit Sharma missed out a run out of Markram.
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At the end of the game, Rohit Sharma would explain his decision to use Ashwin in the 18th.
“I have seen what happens with the last over with the spinners., I wanted to go the other way. If I can finish Ash and not keep him for the last over. I wanted the seamers to bowl the right overs. Given the new batter came, it was perfect time for him to bowl. But Miller …. These things happen,” Rohit said.
After the first six, Pant would yell out, “Time leke daalna,” (take your time). He took time, changed from round the stumps to over. Miller didn’t take any time to deposit over long-off. Ashwin would take out the Stubbs with an off break. Stubbs took the DRS and it would come as umpire’s call and Stubbs had to walk back, leaving Rohit to continue hoping.
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When Parnell came out next, Pant had another suggestion about where to bowl. “It’s 12 off 15, knock it down, pick singles, I am old school,” Shaun Pollock would say on air.
Ashwin bounces back with another dot ball as Parnell missed the cut. Ashwin would then pull out off the next ball at release but Miller hadn’t left the crease. Another dot ball and Ashwin ended that over with three dot balls in a row. But the damage was perhaps done.
