Kane Richardson may have been declared Man of the Match for his five for 68, but the bowler was unequivocal in hailing John Hastings as the catalyst for Australia’s victory here on Wednesday.
Hastings removed both Shikhar Dhawan and M.S. Dhoni in the 38th over, precipitating a big Indian collapse.
“We kept telling ourselves that we just needed to get one of those two (Kohli or Dhawan) out,” Richardson said. “They were going really well and for John Hastings to get Shikhar and MS (Dhoni) within four balls changed the momentum, especially with Ajinkya Rahane being injured. That was a key moment in the game and Hastings deserves a lot of credit.
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“Two for 50 on that wicket when they are chasing 340 (349) is a hell of an effort. In the last two games he has really led the attack well.”
Till Hastings’s intervention, though, Australia had been clutching at straws.
“To be honest, at one stage it looked like we were going to lose in 40 overs,” Richardson said.
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“But, we kept telling ourselves that last year (November 2014) South Africa were chasing a similar sort of score against us and they were doing it well like today. Hashim Amla made a hundred but then we got him out which changed the game.
“In the back of our heads it was there, but it is easy to say and hard to do.”