Kohli thrills but misses out on a deserved century
KOHLI AND AJINKYA RAHANE ENSURED THAT THERE WOULDN’T BE A REPEAT OF THE TOPORDER COLLAPSE THAT HAD INDIA WOBBLING IN CHENNAI
Virat Kohli has one ODI century at Eden but that came nearly eight years ago.
On Thursday, at an Eden Gardens warmed up by sunshine even though the crowd, it seemed, hadn’t warmed up to the idea of what should be a cracking contest, Kohli crossed halfway to getting there in the fifth ball of the 21st over.
A century, had he scored one, would surely have been one of his best on a seaming pitch. But Kohli stopped eight short of the landmark.
With eight boundaries and coming at a strike rate of 85, Kohli’s innings wasn’t sedate but the kind of anchor India needed.
Electing to bat after winning the toss, Kohli came in at the fall of Rohit Sharma’s wicket in the first ball of the sixth over.
He and Ajinkya Rahane ensured that there wouldn’t be a repeat of the top-order collapse that had India wobbling in Chennai.
They rotated the strike, ran their twos hard and played superbly on the off-side whenever Australia offered the slightest of width.
Kohli started slowly but catching up and their overtaking Rahane on way to his 45th ODI 50 with a single off Ashton Agar.
Till Kohli pulled one off Kane Richardson to end the 11th over for a four, India had hit all their boundaries on the off-side. Kohli and Rahane added 102 in 111 balls for the second wicket before the opener failed to beat Travis Hilton’s throw.
Kohli fell to a seaming in delivery from Nathan Coulter-Nile, chopping it back on to his stumps. A no ball triggered confusion when the visiting side claimed Hardik Pandya’s wicket in a dead ball situation, turned down by the on-field umpires.
Pandya was on 19 when his mis-hit off a waist high full- toss went straight into Steve Smith’s hands at cover. It was raining by then and Pandya, without realising that it was a no ball, started walking back to the dressing room.
Seeing a run-out opportunity, Smith threw the ball to bowler Kane Richardson, who dislodged the bails with Pandya nowhere in sight.
The Australian players, including Smith, appealed for a run-out but the umpires, after some deliberation, decided the ball was dead by the time the visiting team had claimed the run out.
The rain added more drama to the entire incident.
Eventually, Pandya came back to the middle, alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar, after the rain break with India at 237 for six in 46.4 overs.
The umpires went by the book on this occasion and awarded a free hit to the batting side.