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The stakes are usually high in a normal T20 game, and when India is the home team playing against an opposition like the Aussies, you can be sure of some fireworks, both on and off the field. On March 27th, 2016, at the IS Bindra stadium in Mohali, the party kicked off, and was ended 39 overs later ever so charmingly with the decisive hit from captain cool Dhoni's bat.
The result was simple.
India edged past their rival, Australia, in a game that provided it all: unbelievable scenes, pure thrills, a gritty all-round show, big blows, twists and turns, and yes, easily consumable excitement.
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No score is ever unchaseable in a T20, right? That's what most of us think. Perhaps that is what a certain Australian team would have thought when they assigned India the task to chase down a hefty and competitive 161 off 20 overs. 161 was going to be uphill, but captain Dhoni's charging men weren't going to make a drab run out of the target.
Despite losing both openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply for 12 and 13, the likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood and James Faulkner weren't allowed to settle into a rhythm.
This wasn't an ordinary occasion, nor was the result going to be an ordinary one. But I am glad that I got the opportunity to witness two of the most exciting outfits in World T20 - indomitable Australia and unstoppable India - amidst the frenzy of cheering fans from all over at Mohali on March 27th, 2016, thanks to the marvelous OPPO F1.
India taking on Australia at the high octane ensemble of nerves amidst unmatchable vibe, pressure and energy of the ICC World T20 is sure to rock the boat. And so it did.
There were plenty of impact players, truth be told, starting with Aussie openers- Khawaja and Finch; Watson, who performed brilliantly with the bat, the ball and in the field in his final international appearance as an Australian cricketer; and the usual suspects from India: Kohli and Dhoni.
The pair of Kohli and Dhoni starred in a historic partnership, sweeping away the Aussies and guiding Team India to a 6 wicket win with 5 balls to spare with excitement and quality play.
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There were selfies, snapshots of fans cheering of their favorite stars, and the stars themselves, of whom the most dominant was unsurprisingly Virat Kohli, who with his classy and timely 82 off just 51 balls took a seemingly struggling India to a glorious victory. He was the cynosure of all eyes at the IC Bindra stadium, the heart of Mohali.
I am glad I had the opportunity to be amidst the live action and this time, I wasn't traveling alone. The slick OPPO F1 Selfie Expert meant that the exciting match I was to witness could be replayed and relived sufficiently at my leisure, thanks to the sterling features of the phone: 8 MP Rear, Premium Metal Body, 13 MP Rear cushioned by the dexterity of a cool and sleek design. No matter what the match situation, OPPO F1 Selfie Expert helped me capture the best moments.
Kohli the magnificent
Solid and in form, Kohli the maverick's blasts on all sides of the park were captured for posterity. "Memories are important and more of it should be recorded," has been my mantra all along.
Kohli consolidated India's strong run chase with a gritty knock was well supported by a limping Yuvraj (hitting a solitary six; a shot that began to free India's arms in a lovely run chase) who struck an under-pressure 21 off 18, helping India recover from the angst and worry of losing Raina cheaply for 10.
The pressure was on and India needed 67 off 36. In comes Dhoni, and there was no stopping the crowd. You can hardly keep an Indian out of action even as they are participating in the game as a spectator.
Dhoni and Kohli piled on the runs in a high octane run chase. You can't just come out to the middle and dominate them Aussies!
Shane Watson, starring in his final international cricketing appearance, made his contribution count in the midst of a dominant Indian show.
With 2 for 23 and a valuable 18 runs, he jumped and dived, struck boundaries and held on to one end, helping to take his beloved Australia in the attempt to defend 161, an attempt that was ultimately unsuccessful for everyone's beloved "Watto".
Taking the wickets Rohit and Raina was a big high for Watson. This was a moment when lights in the hearts of thousands of Indian spectators had begun to fade. But the match was not over yet, as Kohli and Dhoni proved.
No matter what stage in an ICC World T20 game, can you ever discount the bowling attack that's defending 160 runs?
Australia, who were fired by Khawaja and Finch's 55 run partnership off just 4 overs would have thought that they could have posted over 200 and set a really tough target for India. But then, as in most exciting games, the element to surprise reared its head and the outcome often surprised the one who planned to outfox. Both during the period when the Khawaja and Finch show set the park on fire, and later on during the retribution wreaked in Dhoni and Kohli's 67 run stand, I got some excellent pictures of the action.
Magnificent in its offering of thrills and joys, OPPO F1 Selfie Expert helped capture the warm and affectionate handshake between 2 great teams at the completion of a titanic battle. Significant to say the least, while the best man wins, the graceful stands firm even in defeat.
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