Melbourne: It was a script even Agatha Christie couldn’t have written for an India-Pakistan cricket match.
Having allowed Pakistan to post an above-par score of 159/8 despite Arshdeep Singh dismissing openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in his opening spell, Team India tottered at 31/4 in the seventh over in their blockbuster T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan at the vast theatre of MCG with over vociferous 90,000 fans.
But Virat Kohli was not prepared to give up. He found a fitting partner in Hardik Pandya, and the two of them just hung on and took the game deep.
Their 113-run partnership for the fifth wicket set the platform for a final assault – with 48 runs coming in the last 3 overs and 31 in the last 2.
Kohli, Man-of-the-Match and man of the moment, was lost for words after scripting an unbelievable victory with an unbeaten on 82 off 53 balls, which included 6 fours and 4 sixes.
“It’s a surreal atmosphere… I honestly have no words. I am lost for words. I have no idea how that happened,” were Kohli’s first words in the interview to the broadcaster after the match.
He went on to describe it as his best innings in the shortest format of cricket.
“Till today, I had said Mohali (against Australia) was my best T20 innings. Then I got 82 off 52, today I got 82 off 53. But this one I’ll keep higher because of the magnitude of the event,” said Kohli.
Rohit Sharma, who showed his emotion by rushing to the ground, and lifting and hugging Kohli after Ravichandran Ashwin hit the winning runs, was more effusive in his praise for Kohli.
“Hats off to Virat. It has to be not one of his best, but the best innings he has played for India,” Rohit told Star Sports.
