ICC T20 World Cup 2022: "The atmosphere was great and you just got a feeling early that is it gonna be Virat again"- Michael Vaughan recalls the Virat Kohli knock against Pakistan
Virat Kohli was back at his imperious best as he led India to a famous win against Pakistan at the MCG on October 23. The T20I World Cup has set the grand stage for the clash between the arch-rivals with Kohli stealing the show for the Men in Blue.
Chasing a tough target of 160 on a tricky MCG pitch in a high-octane pressure match, Virat Kohli played an immense unbeaten knock of 82 (off 53 deliveries) to take India home.
Former England batter Michael Vaughan praised King Kohli for his knock. He discussed the emotions shown by the former Indian skipper after guiding the run-chase from a seemingly unwinnable situation.
Vaughan told Cricbuzz:
“To see Virat emotional in the end, I think there was a lot of emotions in that interview. The fact that he has got his team over the line. Runs haven’t been quite easy to come by in the last year or so. Yes he didn’t get the century."
The former England captain added:
"He got one recently but he would have loved to get a century against Pakistan. But to be there till in the end, not out to orchestrate that pressure. To be under that amount of pressure and I can’t imagine the pressure in an India-Pakistan game"
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Virat Kohli - Chase-master Kohli delivers on the big stage
After being reduced to 31/4 in the seventh over, Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli steadied the ship for India. They shared a 113-run stand and looked unfazed despite the climbing required run rate.
While Pandya was unable to hit fluently against the pacers at the massive MCG stadium, Kohli showed his absolute class as a technical master by seamlessly timing balls to the boundary every time India required an outlet.
The chase-master hit three boundaries of Shaheen Afridi in the 18th over to collect 18 runs for the Men in Blue. Kohli then dismissed the dangerous Haris Rauf for consecutive sixes in the 19th over to leave India chasing 16 in the final over.
Virat Kohli emotional moment after win from pak.
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Of all his magnificent shots, the punch-back six over long on was perhaps the most mesmerizing stroke of the night. Not many would have dreamt, let alone dared to even attempt that shot as it required power, timing, courage and wisdom - all shown in abundance by India's highest run-getter in T20Is.
With over 90,000 passionate fans at the MCG watching the match, Kohli made used the tension as gasoline to down the Pakistani bowlers and emerge on top.
Vaughan, who was watching the match with his family in Nottingham, backed Kohli to do the unthinkable.
He said:
“The atmosphere was great and you just got a feeling early that is it gonna be Virat again? We have seen it many many times before, not as much in the recent times but a few years ago that whatever number he was asked to chase, he just orchestrated knowing how to get that number."
The English commentator added:
Towards the back end, when the drama started to unfold. That six over long-on of Haris Rauf was just spectacular."
Virat Kohli finished off the chase in style as he hit yet another six in the final over, leaving Ravinchandran Ashwin requiring two runs off one delivery. The wily Indian all-rounder smartly left the ball, which went down the leg-side to reduce the equation to one off one ball. Ashwin's heaved shot over mid-off was the winning run in a match where Virat Kohli showed the world why he is perhaps greatest modern day batter in the game.
The Men in Blue will face The Netherlands in their next game in Perth on October 27 before taking on South Africa on October 30.