Where would India be without Virat Kohli in this ICC Champions Trophy? As they got one step closer to becoming the most successful team in the tournament’s history, for the second time in this edition, Kohli mastered a chase.
Unlike the game against Pakistan where he remained unbeaten on 100, there was no century to show against Australia in Tuesday’s semi-final. But his 84 was an innings that sent a strong reminder to the world that Kohli isn’t going anywhere for now. If anything, with such knocks under pressure in the most challenging of conditions, he seems to be indicating a second wind in his career.
Truth be told, Kohli looked all over the place in the first game against Bangladesh, who were able to pin him to the crease. After that knock, he trained for extra hours at the nets, facing local spin bowlers and in the sessions that followed, has been testing himself against the tweakers in the India squad. Before facing them, he would check what sort of field setting they are bowling to and find ways to evade those imaginary fielders. If he believed the gap was found, he would bring out his fist- pump or have a word or two with the bowlers.
So it isn’t surprising he has been able to do the same in the middle. Against Australia, having lost both openers, and chasing the highest target so far in the Dubai leg of the tournament, he had to ensure the asking rate didn’t climb. Never mind the nature of the attack, it still was a steep ask on this pitch, where even one wicket can completely change the course of a game.
Yet, Kohli managed to do it, getting to his 50 off just 53 deliveries with four boundaries. In all he had 56 singles and four twos as he got the job done by playing the sort of innings needed on this pitch.
“It was pretty similar to the other day against Pakistan. There were about seven fours when I got a hundred. For me, it’s about just understanding the conditions, preparing my game accordingly, just rotating strike. Because partnerships on this pitch are the most important thing and my only effort that day and today was to string in enough partnerships,” Kohli told the broadcaster after the game.
What Kohli has also been able to do is dictate the tempo of the chase, where even a sequence of dot deliveries can quickly bring pressure on batting teams. So far, he hasn’t played a shot out of desperation, a clear sign of how he has managed to overcome the conditions by trusting his game that has brought him 28 centuries in chases, out of which 24 have come in wins.
Forever busy
Off the 98 deliveries he faced on Tuesday, there were just 33 dot balls. Once he passed 50, Kohli had to slow down as India lost Shreyas Iyer. But at no stage did he try to do anything different, instead sticking to risk-free cricket.
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“Timing and composure at the crease. I wasn’t feeling desperate,” Kohli would say about the facet of his batting that stood out. “I was pretty happy knocking ones around. When, as a batsman, you start taking pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, that’s when you know you’re playing good cricket. You know you’re in for a big partnership and settle the nerves down a little bit and head towards chasing the total down. That, in the game against Pakistan and today, was the most pleasing factor for me,” he added.
Australia captain Steve Smith would explain what set Kohli apart in chases like this. “He’s arguably the best chaser the game has seen. He’s done it numerous times against us. He controls the tempo of the game really well, plays to his strengths and takes the game deep. I thought he played really well again tonight.”
Having come into the tournament under pressure, with speculation about his future being on the line, the nature of the surfaces that have been on offer in Dubai is the last thing a batsman aspiring to find form and runs would have wanted. None of the four pitches that India have played on is one where batsmen can find fluency. Unless a batsman is able to assess the conditions to a T as quickly as possible, it is impossible to feel settled here. But among all the Indian batsmen on this trip, it is Kohli who has looked in complete control of the game, irrespective of the situation.
“He’s a phenomenal one-day cricketer. He knows how to adapt to conditions very quickly. That’s why experience and high-quality players are very important. That’s why he has got that kind of record in one-dayers. I hope he continues that in the future as well,” head coach Gautam Gambhir said.
