"When everyone feels it is going to happen, Lord says it won't" - Aakash Chopra on Shardul Thakur sealing India's win

Aakash Chopra has praised Shardul Thakur for delivering at the crunch moment in the first ODI between India and New Zealand.

The Men in Blue set a mammoth 350-run target for the Kiwis after opting to bat first in Hyderabad on Wednesday, January 18. Michael Bracewell's blazing 140 brought the equation down to 13 required off the last five balls with one wicket in hand before Thakur trapped him plumb in front of the wickets to help the hosts register a narrow 12-run win.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra lauded Thakur for bouncing back brilliantly after having bowled two bad deliveries to seal India's win, elaborating:

"20 were required off the last over. The first ball was hit for a six, the second ball was a wide and we felt that they might be scored. But when everyone feels it is going to happen, Lord (Thakur) says it won't, that he had raised everyone's expectations slightly but we only will win in the end."

While acknowledging that Thakur was slightly expensive, Chopra praised the seam-bowling all-rounder for striking the telling blow, saying:

"Lord got a wicket with a yorker, which was actually a good ball. Shardul gave 50 in seven but had two wickets in his account. The most important wicket was when he dismissed Michael Bracewell in the end. Lord hai to mumkin hai."

Thakur was played ahead of Umran Malik to add a little depth to the batting. Although he was run out after scoring three runs following a mix-up with Shubman Gill, he picked up the crucial wicket of Finn Allen apart from the game-clinching scalp of Bracewell.

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"It has become just Mohammed Siraj things these days" - Aakash Chopra

Mohammed Siraj registered figures of 4/46 in his 10 overs. [P/C: BCCI]

Chopra also showered praise on Mohammed Siraj for continuing his wicket-taking spree, stating:

"Mohammed Siraj had almost sealed the game in your favor towards the end. He picked up two wickets in one over and took wickets at the start as well, he took as many as four wickets. It has become just Mohammed Siraj things these days."

While observing that Hardik Pandya was quite expensive, the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the batting all-rounder picked up the crucial wicket of Lockie Ferguson in the 49th over, saying:

"He plays ODI cricket and picks up four wickets daily, it's like that. Shami gave 70 runs in 10 overs, Mohammed Siraj - 46 in 10, Hardik Pandya - 70 in seven but he picked up an extremely important wicket."

Chopra reckons Kuldeep Yadav could have been given his full quota of overs. The left-arm wrist-spinner registered figures of 2/43 in the eight overs he bowled.