Tim David does a Virat Kohli, blasts 28 off 8 balls to pull off epic heist for Australia in New Zealand run-fest

Tim David has been in situations like these before and has bailed his team out several times. It's primarily been his role in the T20 format, regardless of the team he plays for. Yet, there was an aura of disbelief at the Sky Stadium in Wellington on Wednesday when David smashed an unbeaten 31 off just 10 balls, which included a last-ball boundary, as Australia pulled off an epic heist against the hosts in the opening T20I match of the series. New Zealand players looked stunned, and there was silence on the ground while Australian players were left dumbfounded, including captain Mitchell Marsh, who witnessed that hurricane knock from the other end of the crease.

Chasing a mammoth 216, Australia needed 35 off the final two overs. The visitors had lost a struggling Josh Inglis an over earlier, leaving a fresh batter in David to accompany Marsh, who was well past his half-century mark, and was likely to remain the central character in the remainder of the chase. But just when the game seemed to slip a tad bit away from the Aussies, after Adam Milne conceded only three runs in his first three balls in the penultimate over, David stepped up.

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Standing at 6 foot 5 inches, David's onslaught started on a fortunate note, where he got the toe end of the bat against the wide yorker from Milne in the fourth ball of the 19th over. The boundary past the third man reduced the equation to 28 runs required from eight balls. Now, when was the last time we heard those figures? Virat Kohli. MCG. India versus Pakistan. Ring a bell?

Albeit not in the exact same manner, but David did pull off a Kohli. He smashed the remaining two deliveries of the 19th over for sixes - one launched over cow corner and the other over deep mid-wicket. But Australia were still far away from the target with the experienced Tim Southee stepping up for the final over where 16 runs were required.

After Marsh managed to get David back on strike ahead of the fourth ball, Australia, who managed only four runs in the first three balls of the final over, required 12 off the last three.

The 27-year-old then launched the fuller one from Southee for a six over fine leg before getting only two runs on the next ball. The New Zealand pacer looked to stick to his plan of bowling another low full-toss, but erred in his plan on the final ball as David smashed the undercooked yorker on middle through mid-wicket for a boundary. Glenn Phillips sprinted hard to stop the effort, but was beaten.

Earlier in the match, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway stitched a century stand en route to their respective fifties as New Zealand amassed 215 for three. Marsh found able support through the chase, as he notched up 72* off 44 balls, but it was David's blitzkrieg knock that helped Australia script a sixt-wicket win.

The second T20I will be played in Auckland on February 23, followed by the series finale on the following day at the same venue.