Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins
Virat Kohli (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Although Pat Cummins produced incredible bowling performance in the Nagpur ODI, Australia just failed to beat the host side India. The Aussie pacer Pat Cummins praised the Indian skipper Virat Kohli as he claimed that his chanceless batting made the difference between the two teams.

The visiting side started the game by trailing the five-match ODI series by 1-0, so it was a crucial encounter for them. However, at the end of the match, they were just eight runs short from India’s first innings total.

The host side mostly struggled in their innings. However, the skipper Virat Kohli’s brilliant centurion knock helped the team to manage a fighting total. The 30-year-old no.3 batsman came to bat at very early after the opener Rohit Sharma lost his wicket in the first over without opening his account.

At first, Virat Kohli shaped the innings and then guided to the fighting first innings total. After completing his half-century in 55 balls, he stretched his innings to the century which he reached on 107 balls. Without taking any chances, the right-handed batsman scored 116 off 120 balls with ten boundaries. Finally, Pat Cummins dismissed him in the 48th over when Virat Kohli first time in the game played a shot in the air. That innings helped India to manage 250 runs in 48.2 overs before losing their all wickets.

In reply, Australia scored 242 runs (49.3 overs) before getting all-out. Marcus Stoinis fought till the last over as he scored 52 off 65 balls. In the top-order, the skipper Aaron Finch (37 runs), Usman Khawaja (38 runs) and Peter Handscomb (48 runs) got the fine starts but lost their wickets at the crucial moments.

Virat Kohli was probably the difference

Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins
Virat Kohli (Image Credit: Getty Images)

After the match, the Aussie pacer Pat Cummins praised the Indian captain for his controlled and patient innings. He feels that Virat Kohli’s chanceless innings was the difference between the two sides.

Pat Cummins said, “I think he (Kohli) was the difference, for sure. We had a couple of really good partnerships, Marcus (Stoinis) got 50-odd, couple of guys got really good starts but we didn’t have that one guy (player) who got on with it. So for them to have someone like Virat in at the end, facing lots of balls, he was probably the difference between them getting low-200 or 250. (It was a) really good innings – chanceless.

“(And he) just played really good shots. I thought for the most part we bowled quite well to him but especially the way he played some of the spin, which looked quite tough to play on that wicket, was certainly the difference.

“He (Kohli) batted beautifully, he didn’t give any chances, he looks like he got so much time. If someone bowls well he’s happy to wait on them and cash in later, he doesn’t miss out on too many bad balls.”

I love bowling with the new ball in ODI cricket

Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins was excellent with the ball in Nagpur ODI (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Pat Cummins was the best bowler in that entire ODI. He had the incredible bowling figures of 9-2-29-4. After the ODI match, the 25-year-old pacer said that he always loved to bowl with the new ball, especially in ODI cricket.

He said, “I love bowling with the new ball, especially in one-day cricket on these sort of wickets, the ball deteriorates quite quickly. So I love getting the brand new ball and trying to swing it around, get a bit of pace and bounce out of the wicket before it tends to go soft.”

Pat Cummins also praised the other Australian bowlers, especially mentioned the spinners’ efforts. The two major Aussie spinners Adam Zampa (2/62) and Nathan Lyon (1/42) bowled quite well in this ODI.

Pat Cummins said, “Bowling a team out is good. The way (Adam) Zampa came back, got two big wickets that was a great sign. Nathan Lyon hadn’t played a lot of one-day cricket lately, to come straight back in it’s quite different from Test cricket, he seemed to be firing them in there and kept the scoreboard quite tight, so another great positive.”

After this close defeat, Australia is now trailing this five-match ODI series by 2-0 with three matches to go. India and Australia will play the play the next ODI of the series on 8 March at Ranchi.