MELBOURNE: Virat Kohli powered India to an epic four-wicket over Pakistan in a heart-stopping T20 World Cup game and last-ball win, that unfolded at the MCG ‘amphitheatre’ which was packed with 90,000 boisterous fans, here on Sunday, October 23, a PTI report in the Deccan Chronicle says..
King Kohli, as his fans call him, conjured up an unbeaten 82-run knock to anchor a chase of 160 which became tricky after India were left in tatters at 31 for 4.
Hardik Pandya, the most important cog in India’s T20 wheel, struck 40 off 37 balls in a partnership of 113.
Kohli’s ability to win matches for India came under the scanner due to a prolonged lean patch and the long lost conquerer of bowling attack sang the perfect redemption song on the grandest stage. It started in the 19th over when he sent one from Haris Rauf on his haunches and pulled off two back-to-back sixes.
Rauf, after 22 splendid deliveries bowled two bad ones and it changed the complexion of the game completely.
With 16 needed off last six balls, Pandya holed out off Mohammed Nawaz’s bowling and with rule of crossover non-existent, Dinesh Karthik faced his first delivery and took a single.
With 14 needed off three balls, Nawaz’s juicy full-toss was dispatched for a six over square leg and it was called a no-ball after deliberation by on-field umpires.
Nawaz, the hero of Pakistan’s Super 4 victory in the Asia Cup, by then had lost his nerves.
After Karthik was stumped by an alert Mohammed Rizwan, Nawaz bowled a wide and Ravichandran Ashwin scored the most important boundary of his career.
But the script could have gone awry. KL Rahul’s struggles against extreme pace and his distinct lack of footwork, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav getting out cheaply did upset the rhythm that was set by Pandya and Arshdeep when they restricted Pakistan to 159 for 8.
In no time, India were 31 for 4 and Kohli and Pandya needed to consolidate for the next four overs without losing wicket.
Pandya and Kohli, both disciples of the peerless Mahendra Singh Dhoni understand the grammar of chasing in T20 cricket and how to pace the innings.
Only when leg-spinner Shadab Khan came into operation did Pandya chance his arm and sent him soaring into the stands.
In Nawaz’s next over, Kohli gave him the same treatment while Pandya got his second six.
India needed 60 from last five overs but Rauf and Naseem gave only six runs each in the 16th and 17th over.
Earlier, Arshdeep bowled a dream first spell and Pandya displayed his true worth in the back-10 as India restricted Pakistan to a manageable 159 for eight.
If Arshdeep (3/32) removed skipper Babar Azam (0) and Rizwan (4) in his first two overs to set the tone, Pandya (3/30) rekindled memories of his Asia Cup heroics.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/22) and Arshdeep knew that all they needed to do was to pitch the ball up and let the track do the rest.
Both bowl at an average speed of 130 kmph and they knew that their best chance to trouble the batters at that pace was to bowl fuller lengths.
A good first over by Bhuvneshwar where he consistently got late movement set the tone beautifully for Arshdeep to take over the baton and inflict a telling damage.
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