Virat Kohli in action.
Credit: Reuters Photo
A target of 200 in an ODI is anything but a daunting one. Even accounting for the turn in the first innings and the movement that the pacers could possibly get with the new ball, you expect a batting line-up like India's to chase down the required runs with a degree of comfort. But not when you lose more wickets than the number of runs you have scored. Not against an attack that has its tails up. Not against a fielding unit that saves every run as if its life is dependent on it.
That's exactly the situation India found themselves in on a muggy Sunday evening at the MA Chidambaram Stadium during the opening World Cup match against Australia. Having restricted the tourists to 199 all out, India were the overwhelming favourites half-way through the innings. The first points appeared assured and there was a sense of calm in the Indian camp.
It, however, took Australia no more than 12 balls to leave the Indian players and the support staff nervous wrecks. The crowd, which celebrated each Aussie dismissal with customary boisterousness, suddenly lost its feet and voice. Of course at least two of the top three batters fell playing reckless shots, but that shouldn't take anything away from the Aussie pacers who opened up a big window of opportunity against the run of play.
Hazlewood particularly was impressive, managing to get the new ball to nip back or induce false shots on a two-paced wicket. As Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer fell in the first two overs in that order, the target appeared a daunting one. At three down for two in two overs, India needed something out of the ordinary to extricate themselves from a precarious position. Their faint hopes had almost gone up in smoke when Virat Kohli had top-edged Hazlewood but Mitchell Marsh somehow managed grass a fairly easy chance.
India took a collective gasp of breath and Kohli didn't need a second invitation. Edgy until then, the right-hander put his head down and mastered India's successful chase like only he does. There is something about Kohli and chasing. Many fine Indian batters have often buckled, unable to cope with the pressure of expectations. They appeared to lack the mental fortitude required to navigate the innings through the tense moments.
In that sense, Kohli is quite "un-Indian". He is made of a different fibre and relishes situations where he has an opportunity to emerge a hero. It's in his character. His innate combative nature on the field seamlessly extends to his batting as well. That he has the most number of runs (see table) in successful chases and second most in chases behind Sachin Tendulkar is the reason why he is referred to as the “chase master.”
Sunday evening presented the Delhi batter another opportunity, and he gleefully embraced the challenge. While Kohli isn't the same dominant batter that we saw before 2020, he has found ways to remain as important as ever. He quickly realised that fighting fire with fire wasn't the best way to win the battle. With KL Rahul looking more assured in the crease, Kohli decided to play the second fiddle. He sussed up the conditions, let Rahul deal with Adam Zampa's threat on a turning surface and faced pacers with the respect they needed.
He is a proven Test great and he has nothing to prove in T20s but it's the 50-overs cricket that brings out the best in Kohli. It suits the kind of batter he is -- neither explosive like a Glenn Maxwell nor sticky like a Cheteshwar Pujara. The pace at which ODIs move have a lot of place for Kohli's school of batting.
"He (Kohli) is welcome in any side in any format but particularly so in 50-overs cricket...," Tom Moody told ESPNCricinfo. "He understands the pace of the game and the pace of the game understands him."
His 116-ball 85 on Sunday ranks nowhere his best in terms of quality, aesthetics and domination of the attack but it was quite significant given the context of the game. That he is willing to look ugly to win matches is welcome news for India and a bad omen for opponents.