“DK.. DK” the crowd was up on their feet, as Dinesh Karthik slapped a short ball from Daniel Sams, who was bowling from round the wicket angle, to the leg side boundary, bisecting the deep square leg and deep mid-wicket fielder, to win India the curtailed match in Nagpur, levelling the series.
As Dinesh Karthik completed the chase off, he also shut his doubters and detractors up for at least a while now, and further gave a proof why the team management is backing him, and has slotted him, for the specialist finisher’s role.
The second T20I between India and Australia, at the VCA Stadium, was delayed by two hours due to wet outfield. Finally, after a long wait, the match got underway as an 8-over-per-side affair, with Rohit Sharma, the Inda skipper, electing to bowl first after winning the toss.
The match went down to the last over of India’s chase with the hosts, who are trailing 1-0 in the series, needing 9 runs to win from the last 6 balls with Dinesh Karthik facing his first ball of the match. He’d come in the previous over at the fall of Hardik Pandya’s wicket, who’d scored 9 runs off 9 balls.
While some other batters may have been nervous – not Karthik, who’s made finishing his bread and butter in recent months, the skill and excellence in the final phase of an innings helping him make a comeback to the Indian side at the age of 37.
Daniel Sams goes round the wicket and looks to cramp DK for room, bowling a slower length delivery on the stumps. Karthik crouches a little low and swipes his bat, connecting sweetly and the ball sailed over backward square leg for a maximum, to effectively seal the game for India.
With just 3 needed off 5 balls, Karthik pulled the next delivery to the legside fence for a boundary for the finish. Rohit Sharma (46* off 20) was all elated at the other end and embraced Karthik in a big hug, while the 37-year-old calmly smiled.
Netizens on Twitter erupted in the meantime, swooning over Dinesh Karthik’s sumptous couple of shots. Because two hits is all he needed today.
Here are some of the best tweets on Dinesh Karthik’s finish:
The finisher in the town for India: DK.pic.twitter.com/0jaeSs7bav
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 23, 2022
DK doing DK things. 🤷🏻♂️ #PlayBold #TeamIndia #INDvAUS
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 23, 2022
DK and Rohit our finishers, throwing it back to 2007 💙🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/jjFGKoEKE0
— India Fantasy (@india_fantasy) September 23, 2022
Just realised that in an 8-over match, any time after 4 overs is DK time.
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) September 23, 2022
DK HAS NERVES OF STEELLL🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— 𝑨𝑽 🇮🇳 (@cricketArnav) September 23, 2022
Popa only wants 2 balls to finish the match 😎
— DK Popa (@DK_Popa_) September 23, 2022
DK – THE FINISHER!! 🫡#INDvsAUS
— Arjun Bhalla (@ArjunBhalla17) September 23, 2022
Indian to Dinesh Karthik right now , class DK !!!!! Finisher DK 🔥 🔥🔥#INDvsAUST20I #RohitSharma𓃵 pic.twitter.com/NzlXsKVoP4
— Shash (@shashidhar_17) September 23, 2022
When life knocks u down…Rise like DK ❤#INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/Auu1JRyVPW
— V I P E R™ (@VIPERoffl) September 23, 2022
When you have scored the most runs but everyone is praising DK #INDvsAUST20I pic.twitter.com/sMoJtulJzJ
— rozgar_CA (@Memeswalaladka) September 23, 2022
It’s just a trailer, more to come!🔥
DK, DK, DK!!!!!!!!💙#INDvsAUS | #DineshKarthik pic.twitter.com/MC8a0q9vXd— 𝐀𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐡 | 71𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲❤️ (@Aaliya_Zain5) September 23, 2022
Dk The finisher 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Well done boy 🔥🔥#DineshKarthik #RohitSharma𓃵 #INDvsAUST20I pic.twitter.com/MFOWxiHIk0
— Mani muzic (@Manimuzic1) September 23, 2022
Just Dk things 😍😻🥵🙈💗 pic.twitter.com/u05Vkk3eYC
— SATHVIKA ✨💗🙈 (@Sathvika08_) September 23, 2022
The second T20I between India and Australia, in Nagpur, was delayed by two hours due to wet outfield. Finally, after a long wait, the match got underway as an 8-over-per-side affair.
