Virat Kohli: The story of a warrior’s battle-winning match

• Rashel Ahamed
• December 11, 2024
• Sports
• Sachin Tendulkar, Srilanka cricket team, Tri Series, Virat Kohli
• 0 Comments

1.

The situation was tough, very tough. Specially for young star like Virat Kohli.

Being at number 3 in the points table of the tri-nation tournament held between Australia, Sri Lanka and India is a bit humiliating for a team like India, consisting of Tendulkar and Sehwag. To keep the chances of reaching the final alive, they not only have to win against Sri Lanka in the last match of the group stage, but they have to win within 40 overs. Even if they can do that, the final is not certain, we have to look forward to the last match between Sri Lanka and Australia. Sri Lanka has to lose again in that match, only then can India play the final.

Going into the match with so many factors in mind is definitely stressful. When India and Sri Lanka took the field on February 28, 2012, Sri Lanka naturally started the match from a somewhat advantageous position.

2.

At the beginning of the match, fate goddess looked up at India. India won the toss and fielded. The aim was to bowl out the opponent for as few runs as possible and set a target. Again, the target should be such that it can be crossed within 40 overs.

The Sri Lankan team started the match very cautiously. Captain Jayawardene himself came out to open the match with Tillakaratne Dilshan. Despite scoring only 41 runs in the first 10 overs of the power play, Sri Lanka did not lose any wickets. Their first wicket fell on the last ball of the 11th over. When Jayawardene was out for 49 runs, his personal tally was 22 runs. Another Sri Lankan batting stalwart, Kumar Sangakara, entered the field. Although these two did not play very recklessly, the runs were coming up on the scoreboard. The team’s 100 runs came in the 22nd over, and 150 runs in the 32nd over. In between, both of them had scored fifties. Dilshan spent 68 balls (5 fours) and Sangakara 55 balls (3 fours, 1 six).

It was clear after scoring a century that Dilshan was not very aggressive even after completing his personal half-century. He played 64 balls to score the next fifty, hitting just 3 boundaries during this time. Perhaps he was aiming for a big innings. Of course, Dilshan didn’t have to worry too much about the run rate as Sangakara played with his hands open at the other end. As Sangakara spent only 29 balls to score the next 50 runs, the team’s run was never in much danger. Although Sangakara was dismissed for 107 runs individually, Dilshan survived till the end. At the end of 50 overs, the team’s total stood at 320, where half of the total runs came from Dilshan’s bat (160).

3.

320 runs in 40 overs to keep the chances of making it to the finals is not an easy target at any time. Till the time India entered the match, there were only 13 records of winning matches by chasing 320 runs, out of which 10 matches had to be won by the batting team until the 50th over.

So, the target was not impossible, but it can be said that it was very difficult. In between, the Malinga factor was added. Batting against Malinga is difficult in any condition. Moreover, Malinga was also showing signs of being in form by taking 9 wickets in 6 matches in that series.

To chase big runs, the batting team has to do two things very well. The first is aggressive batting, and the second is keeping wickets. Anyone who understands cricket knows how difficult the task is. Batting aggressively naturally increases the chances of losing wickets. However, in such a situation, you have to do the hard work.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar opened the innings for India. They started playing aggressively from the start. The team reached 50 runs in the sixth over. But soon after that, India suffered a setback. Sehwag was dismissed by Mahroof on the second ball of the seventh over, having spent only 16 balls to score 30 runs before being dismissed. New batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Tendulkar also started running at the asking run rate. But when Tendulkar was also dismissed after the team had scored 86 runs, India was literally in danger.

Virat Kohli then entered the field.

4.

Virat Kohli Magic

Although Virat Kohli was considered a very good batsman in 2012, he was not considered as great as he was in 2018. It was natural that the eyes would be on him with a batsman like Tendulkar in the team. But it was not unreasonable to rely on a batsman who had scored 3,100 runs in 81 One-Day Internationals at an average of 45.59 and a strike rate of 83.27. By then, Virat Kohli had already scored 8 centuries in ODIs, of which 5 were in chases. Coming out, both Virat Kohli and Gambhir focused on taking wickets. The pair’s half-century came off 48 balls; the next half-century, however, came off just 41 balls. Both had already completed their individual half-centuries. Gambhir played 47 balls (4 fours), while Kohli hit 44 (3 fours, 1 six).

After scoring his individual half-century, Virat Kohli started playing a little more. Gambhir also continued to provide worthy company. When Gambhir was dismissed for an individual 64, India’s total was 201 runs in 27.3 overs; the partnership was 115. Another attacking batsman Suresh Raina entered the field.

5.

When Raina came on, India needed 119 runs in 22.3 overs to win. But to get bonus points to go to the final, India had to win the match in 12.3 overs; 9.67 run rate seemed difficult till then. So both of them had to take some risks; India also got the benefit of it. 28 to 32- 58 runs came in these 5 overs of the power play taken by the bowling department. India also seemed to find the ground under their feet. Due to the aggressive batting of these two, 60-plus runs in the remaining 8 overs did not seem difficult at all. India reached 300 runs in the 35th over. By then, Virat Kohli had also reached his century. Virat Kohli and Raina’s 100-run partnership was completed in just 45 balls.

The match ended in just 36.4 overs. Kohli scored 33 runs in 10 balls after his century. Raina scored only 40 runs in the 120-run partnership between the two. This information shows how much Kohli played with his own strike.

6.

Although India won the match, they could not play in the final. Although Sri Lanka defeated Australia in the last match and played the final, Australia had the last laugh in the final. However, true cricket fans could not forget Virat Kohli’s heroism.

Many people score runs, but only a few special batsmen can play aggressively while keeping wickets on the day the team needs it most and chase big scores and win.

Undoubtedly, Virat Kohli is one of those special ones.