Virat Kohli struck his 51st century in the format, putting an end to his recent batting woes with a rhythm that is frequently associated with him in ODI run chases. With a brilliant, undefeated 100 off 111, Kohli sealed Pakistan’s doom for the fifth time in ICC competitions after the bowlers had done the majority of the heavy lifting.
When he scored a similarly paced fifty-two against England in Ahmedabad in the final ODI before the main event, there were indications that he might be able to move over some of his recent Test issues and carry on as usual in the 50-over format. However, Adil Rashid was able to take advantage of his hesitancy against spin both there and in the preceding match in Cuttack. He indulged in strike rotation throughout the crucial partnerships with Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer on Sunday, preventing Pakistan from learning from Rashid.
“To be honest, it feels good to be able to bat in that manner in an important game to seal qualification. Feels good to contribute in a game where we lost Rohit early, had to put in the understanding of what we learnt in the last game,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
“My job was to control the middle overs against the spinners without taking too many risks, towards the end Shreyas accelerated and I got a few boundaries as well. It allowed me to play my usual ODI game. I have a decent understanding of my game, it is about keeping the outside noise away, staying in my space and taking care of my energy levels and thoughts,” he added.
In contrast to what Pakistan would have preferred, India’s pursuit was not derailed by Rohit Sharma’s early departure due to a flawless delivery from Shaheen Afridi. That was mostly due to the way Shubman Gill, who was just named the world’s top ODI batsman, defeated Shaheen Afridi in the PowerPlay. India reached 10 overs at 64/1, with Gill scoring 35 runs per ball.
“Having clarity is important, it was important to understand that you need to get runs when there is pace on the ball, otherwise the spinners can dictate things. Shubman did well against Shaheen, took him up. There’s a reason he’s the number one batter of the world. It was necessary to get about 60-70 runs in the powerplay, or we’d always be chasing the game. And there Shreyas is really coming into his own at number 4. Did well in India, and now out here as well,” Kohli offered.
