India’s first World Cup match against Australia in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium was no less than a rollercoaster ride. After claiming all Australian wickets at 199 runs in 49.3 overs, the hope for victory soon turned bleak when India lost the three top-order batsmen at merely 2 runs. The odds were against us, and in came the ultimate chase master, Virat Kohli, to rescue the match from the jaws of defeat.
Kohli formed a striking partnership with KL Rahul, and together, they slammed a crucial 165 runs and brought India to victory by 6 wickets. Kohli alone scored a stellar 85 runs in 116 balls.
Just 15 runs away from his 78th century, the Aussies finally got to redeem the blunder of a missed catch and ousted Kohli; however, it was already too late to save the match. Kohli was visibly frustrated at his dismissal. The commentators suggested he had wanted to stay till the end, suggested. A clip of him disappointed and slapping his head in the dressing room also went viral on social media.
We were all rooting for a century, and our hopes were unanimously shattered when Kohli was dismissed a few runs away from a 100. It was heartbreaking to watch him disappointed, tracing back his path towards the dressing room. But the man saved India from losing, and the stadium gave him a standing ovation, saluting his performance.
While Kohli may not have stayed till the end to finish the job, he won hearts. He, along with KL Rahul, ensured we won our first World Cup match of 2023.
Virat Kohli has now surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record and become the Indian cricketer with the most runs in limited-over ICC events with 2785 runs in 64 innings.
Checkout: Virat Kohli Water Price