Delhi February 25 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli admitted that his trademark cover drive puts him in a “catch-22” situation as it has been a weakness lately but playing the shot gives him control over the innings.
Kohli crafted a memorable unbeaten century against Pakistan, steering India to a six-wicket win. His 111-ball masterclass featured the cover drive prominently, a shot that has in recent times led to his downfall but remains a signature weapon in his arsenal. “It’s a ‘catch-22’. I mean, it’s (cover drive) kind of been my weakness as well over the years, but I’ve scored a lot of runs with that shot,” Kohli said.
“I think it was just about backing my shots (against Pakistan) and I think the first couple of boundaries I got were cover drives on the rise, so I really had to just let it go a little bit and take a bit of risk and follow through with my shots. Because when I hit that kind of shots, then I feel in control. So, it was a good innings for me personally and it was a great team win,” he added.
An India-Pakistan game is always a blockbuster, but Kohli felt Sunday’s clash was even more electrifying, with Dubai’s stands packed with passionate fans from both nations.
“The occasion is a bit livelier when you play against Pakistan, especially in this region because you have an equal number of fans from both countries,” he said.
Delighted to contribute to India’s victory once again, Kohli, who became the fastest batter to complete 14,000 ODI runs, said his role at No. 3 has remained unchanged over the years — minimizing risk, stabilising the innings and finishing the chase.
“One thing that I’ve always thought of batting at three is to minimise risk and make sure that I put my team in a winning position and if you have a chance to finish off the game in a chase, obviously, that’s much better and I always preferred that kind of a situation. My role over the years has remained the same. Whatever the demand of the game, I put my head down and try to do that,” he added.
I was also doing math: Axar on anxious moments before Kohli’s century
As Kohli neared his century against Pakistan, Axar Patel turned into a human calculator, crunching numbers and silently praying he didn’t edge the ball at the other end, all to make sure the superstar reached his milestone. Axar walked in to bat with India needing 19 runs to win and Kohli unbeaten on 86. “At the end, actually even I was doing the math for his hundred towards the end. I was hoping that I don’t edge the ball or something. So, it was quite fun,” Axar said. With Kohli stranded on 96 and India needing just two runs to win, skipper Rohit Sharma cheekily gestured for him to finish the game with a six. Acknowledging the call, Kohli, instead of going for a maximum, elegantly drove the ball to the boundary to bring up his hundred in style. “It was the first time I got to watch a high-pressure game from the dressing room where Virat bhaiya scored a century,” Axar said.
I am in good rhythm now: Kuldeep
Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav feels he has found his rhythm following a comeback from injury and expects to get better with every game he plays in the ongoing Champions Trophy. Kuldeep struck thrice in the death overs against Pakistan on Sunday and was also on a hat-trick. The 30-year-old had undergone a surgery for sports hernia last year, keeping him away from the game for more than three months. “After injuries, it takes six months to recover. I played two matches against England. I had a good rhythm. I had a good rhythm even against Bangladesh. But obviously, you always look for wickets (he went wicketless against Bangladesh). But against Pakistan, when I bowled my first over, I felt that I am in a better rhythm. I am in a comfortable position. Even now, I feel that I can bowl better. I have played 3-4 matches. I will get better as I play more,” said Kuldeep, whose three victims were Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.
Love to take on bowlers: Shreyas
Giving a peek into his mindset when faced with high-pressure situations, India batter Shreyas Iyer has said that he likes to be aggressive to “steady the ship”, something that he demonstrated quite well in the win over arch-foes Pakistan after making a sedate start. Iyer’s 56 off 67 was the perfect supporting act to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100. “I love to take on the bowlers when we are under pressure. And that is my mindset. If we take charge, if we gain the momentum, then it is easy to steady the ship,” Iyer said. “And from there on, the rest of the batsmen, when they come in, it becomes easy for them.” He expected India to take less than the 42.3 overs that the side consumed for the six-wicket victory. “I think we could have won a bit earlier, could have been a convincing win based on how the wicket was playing. It was initially coming on pretty well with the new ball and after that it was difficult to score runs when the ball got a bit old,” he said.
Summary: Virat Kohli struggles with the irresistible urge to play risky cover drives, despite the consequences, highlighting his aggressive batting style.