IND vs PAK 2022: "We saw vintage Virat after a long time" - Aakash Chopra lauds Virat Kohli's knock in Asia Cup Super 4 clash against Pakistan
Aakash Chopra feels Virat Kohli was at his former best in India's Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 clash against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, September 4.
Kohli scored a 44-ball 60 as the Men in Blue posted a total of 181/7 on the board. The 182-run target did not prove enough as Babar Azam and Co. won the match by five wickets with one delivery to spare.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul for giving India a flying start. As for Kohli's knock, he said:
"Kohli scored a half-century. Virat Kohli is back it seems. We saw vintage Virat after a long time. He scored 60 runs off 44 balls, which included four fours and a six. That six was actually a beautiful shot."
Chopra pointed out that Hardik Pandya could not do an encore of the blazing knock he played in the Group A clash between the two sides. The former India batter elaborated:
"His knock was very good, Deepak Hooda also played, Hardik Pandya didn't open his account. Cricket is a great leveler, you are on top one day and right at the bottom on the next day."
Pandya's unbeaten 33 off 17 balls helped India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the group-stage game. The seam-bowling all-rounder was dismissed for a duck this time around, playing a Mohammad Hasnain delivery straight to Mohammad Nawaz at short midwicket.
"Virat Kohli was unable to hit fours and sixes" - Aakash Chopra on the last over of the Indian innings
Chopra pointed out that Kohli failed to play big shots in the final over of the Indian innings. He observed:
"Only four runs were going to come off the last over because Virat Kohli was unable to hit fours and sixes. He had kept Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the other end. Four balls had been wasted but after that, Ravi Bishnoi did the job."
Chopra concluded by highlighting that Ravi Bishnoi's slightly fortuitous fours in the last two balls of the innings took India to a competitive score. The reputed commentator stated:
"Kohli got run out, Ravi Bishnoi came on strike and he hit two fours off the first two deliveries he faced. India got eight runs off the last two balls. The Indian team overall scored 181 runs which, in my opinion, was not a bad total."
Thank you Fakhar for giving RM Bishnoi a strike rate of 400. #IndvsPak
Fakhar Zaman's misfield at the cover boundary gave Bishnoi a four on the penultimate ball of the final over. The Pakistan batter then dropped a catch in the same position on the next ball, which also went for a four.
Check out the updated list of most runs in Asia Cup 2022 on Sportskeeda.