Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: IND vs PAK Twitter reactions: Virat Kohli & India pull off stunning win | Reactions to Virat Kohli 82* off 53 balls to seal amazing win
Virat Kohli has pulled off one of his greatest ever chases. One of the best white-ball batsmen the game has ever seen, Kohli has had a tough couple of years, with performances not up to the incredibly high standards he has set since the start of the 2010 decade. However, in one of the best games you will be sure to see, Virat sent a timely reminder that you can never write off a champion.
This India-Pakistan game, which set the record for the highest crowd for a non-Australia game in Australia (90,293), certainly lived up to the hype. From India’s early dominance to Pakistan’s strong fightback, the game then ebbed and flowed on countless occasions, with the men in blue eventually reaching the 160-run target after collapsing to 31/4.
Indeed, it is one of those games you can’t wait to watch the replay of.
There were a number of strong performers in this classic, but Kohli stood tallest. The highlight was a remarkable shot straight down the ground off the impressive Haris Rauf, where Virat generated enough power off a back-of-a-length delivery to send the ball back over Rauf’s head. India needed 28 off eight balls at that point, and another six by Virat left 16 to win off the final over.
Mohammad Nawaz and Pakistan were left wondering as to what might have been. A tight no-ball call and three byes off the stumps on the free hit had Babar and co. up in arms. Frustration then turned into anguish as R Ashwin lofted the final delivery over mid-off to seal a memorable win.
However, Pakistan will still feel they should have won this crucial Group 2 clash. India needed 54 off 24 and then 48 off the last three overs, with Shaheen and Haris having one over each up their sleeve. In the end, India got home on a night where the forecasted rain stayed away to spark jubilant scenes at the MCG.
Twitter reactions: Virat Kohli produces his best to topple Pakistan in an all-time classic
Of course, the reactions were rife on Twitter. India fans were in raptures, while Pakistan fans were left heartbroken. If this classic is a sign of what’s to come in this World Cup, strap yourselves in already because it’s been quite some ride so far.
India’s next game is against Netherlands at Sydney on Thursday. Pakistan will play Zimbabwe on the same night in Perth.
