Last Updated on 10 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Kohli rates MCG knock vs Pakistan higher than Mohali vs Australia | Kohli compares MCG knock vs Pakistan to Mohali knock vs Australia
Virat Kohli has rated his unbeaten, match-winning knock against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday higher than his 82-run knock against Australia at Mohali in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup.
Upbeat after pulling off an incredible last-over coup, Kohli explained that the magnitude of the game vs Pakistan is higher than the previous innings in question against the Aussies.
“Till today I have always said Mohali was my best innings, against Australia: I got 82 off 52 (51). Today I got 82 off 53. So they are exactly the same innings, but I think today I will count this one higher because of the magnitude of the game and what the situation was,” Kohli was quoted in a report by Sportstar.
Kohli produces knock for the ages at MCG
India was down at 31/4 whilst chasing 160 in their opening game of the tournament against the arch-rivals. However, Kohli and Hardik Pandya stitched a stable partnership thereafter. The Pakistani bowlers managed to keep the run rate in check still and it all came down to Rohit Sharma’s men requiring 48 runs off the final three overs.
Virat then chose to up the ante and then first attacked Shaheen Shah Afridi for 17 runs in the 18th over. Haris Rauf managed to pull the equation back to India needing 28 off the final eight deliveries. However, Kohli again struck consecutive sixes to bring the target down to 16 required off the final over. Mohammed Nawaz arguably cracked under pressure and India managed to seal a win with Ravichandran Ashwin displaying innate composure in the last two deliveries.
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Reflecting back on the final stages of the game, Kohli explained, “I think when Shaheen [Shah Afridi] bowled from the Pavilion end, that’s when I spoke to Hardik that we need to take him down.”
He added, “And then the conversation was simple. He said [Mohammad] Nawaz has to bowl one over. So I told him if I can take Haris down then they will panic because he was their prime bowler. So I was kind of pumping myself up to hit two sixes when we needed 28 off eight and that became 16 off six.”
Hardik played an able hand by notching 40 off 37 deliveries but was dismissed by Nawaz in the opening ball of the 20th over. Kohli appreciated the all-rounder and revealed that he kept insisting that the duo will get India over the finishing line even when the odds were against them.
“I honestly have no words. I have no idea how that happened. Hardik kept telling me, just believe we can stay till the end,” the former Indian skipper quipped.
