NZ struggle to contain Kohli
The photograph sums it up. New Zealand seamer Jimmy Neesham, standing head in hands mid-pitch, as India’s Virat Kohli trots past for another run like he’s strolling down the hallway at home.
It didn’t end well for the Black Caps, now familiar with that helpless feeling. Kohli finished 154 not out in Mohali as India won the third one-day international by seven wickets, leaving the tourists 2-1 down and needing victory in Ranchi on Wednesday to avert defeat in the five-match series.
How to stop Kohli is the question often posed but rarely answered by bowlers and captains the world over.
In his last 10 ODI innings, against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Kohli has four centuries, a 91 and an 85 not out (in game one in Dharamsala, also an Indian victory).
His 26th century from just 166 innings boosted his career average to 52.90. He ranks fourth on the alltime century list, behind Sachin Tendulkar (49), Ricky Ponting (30) and Sanath Jayasuriya (28). Sixteen of those Kohli centuries were when chasing; 14 leading India to victory.
Chasing 285, a spluttering Black Caps innings when they needed 300-plus, Kohli and an elevated MS Dhoni added 151 for the third wicket on a decent pitch to get home with 10 balls to spare.
Pace spearhead Trent Boult’s experience summed up the brutal nature of trying to quell Kohli.
In game two Boult’s 2-25 was his most economical 10-over spell, after Mitchell Santner had strangled Kohli down the leg side for nine.
In Mohali, Boult’s figures were 10-0-73-0, his most expensive return, as Kohli plundered the leftarmer for a staggering 54 off 33 balls.
‘‘We fought pretty hard with the bat to get what was a slightly below par total. I don’t think we bowled that badly, but the way Virat and MS batted was outstand- Third one-day international at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium at Mohali.
M Guptill lbw b Yadav ................................... 27 T Latham c Pandya b Jadhav .................. 61 K Williamson lbw b Jadhav ....................... 22 R Taylor st Dhoni b Mishra ........................ 44 C Anderson c Rahane b Jadhav ............... 6 L Ronchi st Dhoni b Mishra .......................... 1 J Neesham c Jadhav b Mishra ............... 57 M Santner c Kohli b Bumrah ...................... 7 T Southee b Umesh ......................................... 13 M Henry not out ................................................ 39 T Boult b Bumrah ................................................. 1 Extras (7w) ....................................................... 7 Total (all out, 49.4 overs) ................ 285 Fall: 46, 80, 153, 160, 161, 169, 180, 199, 283, 285.
Bowling: U Yadav 10-0-75-3 (3w), H Pandya 5-0-34-0 (2w), J Bumrah 9.4-0-52-2, K Jadhav 5-0-29-3 (2w), A Patel 10-0-49-0, A Mishra 10-0-46-2.
R Sharma lbw b Southee ............................. 13 A Rahane c Santner b Henry ...................... 5 V Kohli not out ................................................. 154 MS Dhoni c Taylor b Henry ...................... 80 M Pandey not out ............................................ 28 Extras (2lb, 7w) ............................................. 9 Total (for 3 wkts, 48.2 overs) ....... 289 Fall: 13, 41, 192. Bowling: M Henry 9.2-0-56-2 (1w), T Boult 10-0-73-0 (2w), T Southee 10-0-55-1 (2w), M Santner 10-0-43-0, J Neesham 9-0-60-0 (2w).
India won by seven wickets. India lead five-match series 2-1.
ing,’’ Neesham said. ‘‘When you’re dealing with two of the best chasers in the history of the game you’ve got to have a bit go your way. We had a couple of things not go quite our way, but we kept trying and putting the ball in good areas. Hopefully, in the next game that will come to fruition for us.’’
Often teams get one chance only with Kohli.
Cruelly that one fell to Ross Taylor, battling his own form slump on tour. Perfectly placed at about third slip he shelled Kohli on five, off Matt Henry’s bowling, and that was that.
‘‘If you don’t dismiss this man over here [Kohli] it probably doesn’t matter how many you get,’’
Result: NEW ZEALAND INDIA
said captain Kane Williamson.
The series also showed how vital Kohli and Williamson are to their teams’ fortunes.
In Delhi, Williamson’s 118 was clearly the best knock from both sides, and combined with Kohli’s failure the tourists got home by six runs.
In the series opener Williamson scored three, New Zealand posted a paltry 190 and Kohli did it almost on his own.
They need a big score from someone other than Williamson. Tom Latham’s fifth half-century of the tour (61) again couldn’t be converted into three figures; Martin Guptill (27) blasted two sixes then was lbw in familiar fashion, and Taylor (44) started to finally hit stride in his first 40-plus knock before walking past one from legspinner Amit Mishra.
A bit of luck wouldn’t go astray, either. Williamson’s call of heads at the toss was incorrect, meaning India have won all six coin flips in the tests and ODIs. It’s a remarkable statistic, and on the grounds that luck must change soon, the Black Caps would fancy bowling first in Ranchi to apply some early pressure, bat under lights when it’s easier and take India out of their comfort zone.
Neesham insisted they weren’t demoralised by Kohli. ‘‘We weren’t too far off today. If we’d managed to get a wicket between the 40th and 45th over then we would have been right in the game. Obviously the way that Virat batted took it away from us.’’