India hadn’t won an away ODI match since a victory over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in August last year. As the cliché goes, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’, and Virat Kohli once again carried India on his reliable shoulders to earn the men-in-blue their first victory in the 2014 Asia Cup. India were in a precarious situation at 54 for 2 in the 13th over, but Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane forged what turned out to be a match-winning 213 run stand.
His game is simplistic – Kohli took advantage of the loose deliveries that came his way and punished them with disdain. When the bowlers stopped allowing him room to flex his muscles or curl his forearms, Kohli unleashed his most effective weapon – the ever so graceful cover drive which he plays to perfection. The bullet speed ensures the man at cover has no chance, and by the time the man at long-off takes a few strides to his left, the umpire has already signalled a boundary. Then there’s the bottom-handed heave through the on-side which yields great results. So beautifully does he strike the ball, so consummately has he defined the rules of engagement when willow meets leather that speaking of him in the same breath as his peers seems as irrelevant as comparing an abacus with a high-powered calculator.
Inspite of a sloppy start, there was a strange inevitability about India’s ability to make easy work of the run-chase. Much like most of Kohli’s knocks in the second innings. His dominance under the lights and in the smog was inevitable, and so stunning is his record in the second innings that Bangladesh fans opted to head for the exit as soon as the Indian captain completed his century. With 77 still needed off 12.3 overs, you could argue that Bangladesh were still in with a sniff, but the Fatullah crowd waited no longer as Kohli’s 136 eventually took India home with six wickets to spare. What stood out was Kohli’s timing of the run chase – he neither panicked, neither did he allow himself to get bogged down by the pressure of the required run rate. His composure and assuredness is exactly what each international team craves for – his consistency is second to none.
Let’s put things into perspective, shall we? Virat’s 136 at Fatullah was the 19th century of his ODI career in just 124 innings, a staggering ratio if you put things into perspective. Add 30 half-centuries into the mix, and the numbers are simply extraordinary. 49 scores of 50 and above in 124 knocks is a statistic of the highest order. If it is Mission Impossible, dial Virat Kohli. Think Hobart last year : Virat hit a smashing 133 off 86 balls to help overhaul Sri Lankan team‘s 320 with over 13 overs to spare. It is not just about the runs he scores – it is the manner in which he tears into any bowling attack in the world, so much so that with Kohli around, no target seems too big. No mountain too steep. Thanks to him, run-chases are no longer tentative and nervous affairs for India. And much like today, Kohli seems to shun final-over heroics, opting to finish it early and in style. And what is even more heartwarming to see from the Indian perspective is that Kohli has also learned to celebrate his hundreds without a reference to mothers and sisters! Today, he raised his bat to acknowledge hsi teammates, looked to the heavens, and whispered ‘ Thanks Dad’.
Our boy is maturing, and it only augers well for Indian cricket. Hopefully, many more great knocks to come from this gem of a cricketer. And dare we say, is he a Sachin Tendulkar in the making?
