"This innings was worth a hundred" - Parthiv Patel on Virat Kohli scoring 85 in IND vs AUS 2023 World Cup match
Parthiv Patel reserved high praise for Virat Kohli following the batter's rescue act in India's opening match of the 2023 World Cup against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
The onus was on Kohli to steady the ship after Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer departed without getting off the mark. The former Indian captain showcased exemplary composure under pressure, scoring 85 runs to help the Men in Blue power their way back into the contest.
Assessing Kohli's knock, Parthiv Patel pointed out how the batter loves to chase in ODIs. He suggested that while the seasoned campaigner missed out on a well-deserved century, his innings was definitely worth a hundred.
In a video shared by Cricbuzz on YouTube, the former keeper-batter explained (3:52):
"He likes that big stage and likes to be that performer when the team is down. He goes into auto mode while chasing. He missed a few balls initially, but that can happen against such a quality bowling attack. The way he ran between the wickets was the biggest difference between Australia's batting and India's batting. That's been his strength."
"Once Virat Kohl is set, he usually finishes. Unfortunately, he missed out today on being not out or getting a hundred, but this innings was worth a hundred," he added.
Virat Kohli stitched together a partnership of 165 for the fourth wicket with KL Rahul, who remained unbeaten on 97. The pair helped Rohit Sharma and company to successfully chase down the 200-run target despite the disastrous start.
"Australia will constantly be thinking about that moment" - Zaheer Khan on Mitchell Marsh dropping Virat Kohli's catch
Virat Kohli got a big reprieve after Mitchell Marsh put down a catch in the eighth over of the run chase. The batter was on just 12 runs at the time, and the wicket would have put Pat Cummins and company in pole position.
During the discussion on Cricbuzz, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan claimed that Australia won't be able to forget the missed opportunity. He added (1:40):
"Virat Kohli is someone who has done this time and again. So, you can't give a batter like that a chance and tell him that today is his day. He wanted to be positive, that's why he played that shot. He wanted to keep that positive approach going at that stage. Between KL and Virat, it was Virat who was going to take the initiative. He was up for the battle but got that extra bounce. The chance was there but it wasn't the day for Mitchell Marsh to grab that opportunity. Australia will constantly be thinking about that moment."
India's 2023 World Cup campaign began with a crucial six-wicket win over Australia. They will now take on Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11.