From Mohali to MCG, the Kohli way!

It was in the year 2016, in the midst of the golden phase of the Indian batting sensation, Virat Kohli, who came into the middle under pressure after an early debacle against Australia in what was considered the virtual knockout fight in the T20 WC tournament at Mohali. 

If India had to claim the ticket to semi-final, they should anyhow pass this checkpoint of Australian team who were the reigning 50-over World Champions at that time and were on their way to throne the T20 mega event in India.

However, it was Kohli who was standing between the lines, and it was Kohli alone who became the difference between the two sides, as what the world saw later was a miraculous innings anyone could have played in the T20 World Cup and is highly in the league of Michael Hussey’s show in WC 2010 against Pakistan in the semi-finals.

Now, it is year 2022, the world after the coronavirus pandemic, distinctively transformed. MS Dhoni is replaced by Rohit as India's skipper, and in between, the Virat Kohli era too got fused. Everything changed, champions of the 2016 world cup, West Indies, were eliminated in the first round only. But there was one common element between these two 6-year-gaps and that was Virat Kohli, being the lone warrior for India in the pressure-struck games. 

This can be stated with the fact that India’s top order was once again on their feet against the exhilarating pace bowling by Pakistani pacers when they were reeling on 31/4 chasing a not so threatening score of 160, but the steep pace and bounce which the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground got was haunting the India top order. 

Add to that, Haris Rauf, who considers the MCG his second home and has played for the Melbourne Stars in the BBL, was well acclimatized to the conditions and made full use of them, knocking out Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and Mr. 360 Suryakumar Yadav at speeds of 145+kmph. 

When the first half of the innings got over, India was hanging at 45/4 with Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya at the middle, and now a miracle was the only thing that could make things go in the men in blues favor. But none of the players, crowds, or billions of viewers knew that the miracle itself was Virat. 

He built the innings steadily, then got off to the next gear, taking on Shaheen Shah Afridi for 17 runs when India needed 48 runs off the last 3. It was then the world saw the class of Kohli, who managed to hit an astonishing six over long on when 28 were needed from just eight and another six over fine leg ensured the equation was down to 16 off the last over. 

India knew the trick that Nawaz was up for one over, and that is where they could get over the line. However, to their contrary, all-rounder Hardik Pandya lost his prized wicket in an attempt of slogging the ball and in the next two, India managed just 3. That is where the drama started when Virat Kohli pulled a waist high full toss over deep square, which resulted in a probable equation of 6 in 3 balls. And Ashwin did not miss the opportunity to give the final blow, going over mid-off to steal the show. 

Virat Kohli returned unbeaten on 82 in 53 balls, which quite resembled Indian fans of his Mohali special, where he scored a match-winning 82* in 51 balls. However, some things that separate later innings from former and why Kohli himself put MCG innings over that in post-match presentation.

Firstly, the form through which Kohli was going during that innings and at that point of time, Kohli was in the middle of what we can claim to be the greatest ever prime for any batter. He was taking on every other opposition like a hungry predator and that innings was just another feather to his high wings, whereas this time he overcame a patch which to some extent took off the crown from the king and played an innings to prove his worth all over again and to regain all the applause and eyes which nearly went away. Hence, this inning can work as a silence to all the critics he's got. 

Second, the intensity and situation in which the match was poised. No doubt that 2016 one was virtual knockout contest for India and the pressure was unbearable but the hype that is made in every other Ind vs Pak is on another level and to add that, the MCG packed with over 90,000 spectators made it much more. The stakes were high, and the pressure was mounting on the head. Hence, the knock played was for the ages. 

No matter which innings took guard as the best Virat Kohli knock in T20I, but the point is Kohli and his obsession of chasing the improbable ones. In a situation where no one can take their team home, he (Kohli) does this every other time. Whether he is at the top of the world or in the process of climbing up all over again, Virat never fails to entertain the Indian cricket fans and makes them believe in the men in blues whenever they take ground. 

So, whether it's a Mohali special or an MCG epic, the greatest will shine when the pressure is highest. And what Ravi Shastri quotes suits exactly this modern master: "Cometh the hour, cometh the stage, cometh the man."