Superstar: Kohli adds an extra dimension to India’s batting
It was yet another standout performance from Virat Kohli in the sixth ODI between India and Australia in Nagpur, as his unbeaten 115 blew Australia’s 350 for 6.
Kohli has now batted four times in this series with a lowest score of 61. He has made two centuries, both of which take rank in the fastest three centuries by an Indian batsmen and both pivotal in recording the second and third highest run chases of all time in ODI cricket. Kohli has now made 17 centuries in ODI cricket, an astonishing number for a man just six days short of his 25th birthday. Of the 11 centuries Kohli has made batting second, all have led India to victory. It is a record that screams greatness in the making, and Kohli has proven beyond all doubt now that he is destined to follow the path laid out by Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar of carrying the hope of a nation of more than a billion people.
It is not just the mere numbers, outstanding though they are, that set Kohli apart in ODI cricket. For such a young man, he possesses a maturity beyond his years and a calming assurance during a chase that he will get the job done. He has added an extra dimension to India’s batting, and induced a belief throughout the side that they can overcome any target. It is a mindset that has reached it’s peak in this series with the two superb 350+ chases. Kohli made centuries in both.
But Kohli adds more than just his own batting to the team. It is no coincidence that in the last year or so, as he has upped his game to an extra level, that the players above him have begun to produce the goods as well. The embodiment of this is Rohit Sharma. Since the beginning of the Champions Trophy in July, Sharma has played 14 ODI innings, scoring 558 runs at an average of 46.50. Set this against his career average of 34.63, and it is clear that the improvement has been palpable. During the same space of time, opener Shikhar Dhawan has returned to the side and struck 796 runs at 66.33, set against a career average of 45.45. Again, the improvement has been substantial.
Kohli has been the spark for the revolution. Dhawan and Sharma, two players previously of the ‘talented-but-underachieving’ bracket in international cricket, are now producing substantial platforms in heavy run chases. Why? Because Kohli and his ability to make blistering hundreds has sent a surge of belief and energy throughout a side emerging from a transition. His ability to handle the intense pressure of a run chase, make quick runs without ever looking like losing control, and keep his head at the pressure stages at the end has allowed the opening pair to play their own games without having the extra pressure of having to accelerate rapidly in order to keep the pace.
It has had the biggest effect on Sharma. Too often he has worked himself into a good position and then fallen going for a daft shot. No longer. Previously, with an ageing Tendulkar and a young middle order of Kohli and Suresh Raina before the fading Yuvraj Singh, Sharma did not know whether or not he could trust those below him to score runs at a quick enough rate to set up an innings. Now, with Kohli and the ever-effective MS Dhoni below him, he knows he can see himself in before keeping or gradually upping the pace, rather than the old model of a sudden switch to ultra-attack. As a result of this shift, India have now become the best run-chasers in world cricket.
Behind it all is Kohli. He is a marvel to watch when he bats as he did in Nagpur, or indeed during his 52-ball onslaught in Jaipur. Quick feet and wrists define his batting. He remains perfectly still as the bowler reaches his delivery stride, a statuesque figure of composure before bursting into life with a shimmy of the feet and a whip of the wrists. His driving through the covers and mid-off is a delight. He plays pace as effectively as any, but it is his ability against spin that truly stands out.
Against Xavier Doherty in Nagpur Kohli was in complete and utter control right from the very start. Using his feet to get to pitch, he was comfortable driving the left-armer through cover or over the top. He slog-swept for a six. Doherty, steady against the rest, was out of ideas against the latest Indian batting prince. Kohli has a quick eye and sharp cricketing mind and it has served him well throughout his career, as it will continue to do for potentially another 12 years, perhaps longer.
But we must not get too carried away. It must be remembered that Kohli is not facing a particularly high-class attack in this series. The fiery Mitchell Johnson aside, Australia’s bowlers have posed little or no threat in this series and in all truth have been just as responsible for the two huge Indian chases as the batsmen chasing them down. They are respectable and steady but no more. Clint McKay and James Faulkner lack the extra pace for Indian surfaces. Doherty is not a spinner to strike fear into high class players. Watson is not a wicket-taking option. It is not been the best attack Kohli will ever face, but you can only beat what is put in front of you and part of the reason Australia’s bowlers have looked so placid is because of how well India’s batsmen have played them.
Kohli will face tougher challenges as he progresses through his career, from the likes of South Africa and England as well as Australia’s new wave of young fast bowlers that will surely prove more potent than the current crop. But for now, Kohli can revel in the moment, enjoy his coming of age as a world-class talent and look forward to shaping the deciding ODI in Bangalore. The day will come for him to transfer his skills to the Test arena, where he has enjoyed modest success with four centuries at 41.96, but for the moment he can be content with his status as the best chaser in world cricket and perhaps, arguably, the best all-round ODI batsman in the world.
As for the rest of us, we can be content to watch him for years to come.
Related to this article;
India Square Series In Thrilling Run Chase
alexnsmith77 
Pingback: alexnsmith77 | Morkel Strikes Winning Blow In One-Run Thriller
Pingback: alexnsmith77 | Johnson Rediscovers Old Menace
Pingback: alexnsmith77 | Teenager Aiming To Create A Legacy