On this day in 2012, A Virat Kohli Classic against Pakistan
It was the 36th over of the Pakistan innings. The openers, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammed Hafeez, had crossed hundreds and an exasperated Indian side looked like a cluster of dropped shoulders. And then the first ray of hope cleaved in through a cloud of despair as Jamshed holed out trying to slog R Ashwin. Pakistan lost their 1st wicket for 224. Was the turnaround on the cards? Not in this innings!
In the next 14 overs, Pakistan added 105 runs more. Defending 329 for a bowling unit with Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi, and Saeed Ajmal is a luxury. What could possibly go wrong for them from here!
Perhaps, nothing. Until here, it was their day. India lost Gautam Gambhir on the 2nd delivery.
Walked in a young, aggressive, and slightly chubby Delhi batsman
Hope glittered in his eyes. At the other end was Sachin Tendulkar. The world – and perhaps Sachin himself too – was unaware that it was his last ODI for Men in Blue. Virat Kohli, a year ago in Mumbai on the night of World Cup final, had famously remarked, “Tendulkar has carried the burden of nation for 21 years; It was time we carried him.”
In a way, what Kohli did for next 148 balls that he faced were an extension of the reverence he poured out for Sachin that night at Wankhede.
His first boundary came on the last ball of the 2nd over, Umar Gul beat him for pace and bounce, inducing a leading edge. And that was it. For the rest of the evening, there were no hiccups, just a possessed man who batted with a purpose and made the world stand and admire.
There were innings before this where Kohli had shown he was an exceptional talent but on 18thMarch 2012 in Dhaka, the Chase Master was born. It was a daddy hundred!
He pulled when it was short, flicked when it was on his legs, used his wrists to pierce the gap through covers. The repertoire was on full display as he did not spare any bowler that night, not even mystery maestro Saeed Ajmal.
Cracking 22 fours and 2 sixes, Kohli amassed 183 – joint second-highest score in a run-chase by an Indian
He shares the record with MS Dhoni. By the time Kohli got out in the 48th over, it was all over for Pakistan. India needed 12 runs off 17 balls and only formalities remained. This was Kohli’s 11th ODI century, and since then he has added 32 more. The way things stand right now, the list is going to get longer and longer…
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