T20 World Cup night Virat Kohli earned his ‘King of Chase’ crown with a Mohali classic to edge out Australia

Not for the first time, Virat Kohli, the lord of the run-chase delivered, in grand style, as India knocked out Australia from 2016 T20 World Cup

Virat Kohli’s reputation as the ultimate master of a run chase in limited-overs internationals had been emphatically established by the time the sixth edition of the T20 World Cup made its way to India, for the first time. As if to burnish that fact, the then vice-captain produced a flawless, imperious half-century against Pakistan at Eden Gardens to help India bounce back from an opening game loss to New Zealand, but he knew, as well as anyone else, that that was history and would count for nothing going forward.

Virat Kohli scored a match-winning 82 not out after India struggled early against Australia's 160/6.

India’s unconvincing campaign was at a knife’s edge when they locked horns with Australia in the final Super 10 fixture for both teams, with a place in the semifinal at stake. It was a virtual knockout game, the winner advancing to the next stage and the loser exiting ignominiously.

Perhaps banking on the value of runs on the board in what in effect was a quarterfinal clash, Steve Smith chose to bat, a decision he came to rue four hours later after Kohli orchestrated another masterclass, punctuated not just by Kohli-esque strokes but also spectacular running between the wickets in the company of his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, more than a half-decade older but no less electric and explosive in short bursts.

Australia’s 160 for six was built on a 54-run opening stand in a mere 26 deliveries between Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch but there was no dramatic late flourish, no powerhouse finish, until Peter Nevill, the wicketkeeper, smashed the last two balls of the innings, from Hardik Pandya, for a four and a six respectively. Fifteen runs from the last over helped, but the Australian total was no more than par for the course on a surface that asked questions with its tacky nature that precluded unfettered ball-bashing.

India’s chase never really took off. Where Australia had amassed 59 for one in the first six overs, India limped to 37 for two, Rohit Sharma best illustrating the challenges the pitch posed with a scratchy 17-ball 12. Shane Watson struck the early blows with the sticks of Rohit and Suresh Raina after Nathan Coulter-Nile had Shikhar Dhawan caught at short fine-leg on the pull and at 49 for three with 74 deliveries remaining, India needed 112 more and a mini-miracle.

Fortunately for them, that mini-miracle answered to the name of Virat Kohli. As was his wont at the time, Kohli didn’t explode in a flurry of boundaries from the get-go. He had worked out a template that revolved around bedding down, sizing up the bowling and working out which bowlers to target and when, while ensuring that even if the required rate mounted, it never got to alarming proportions. At Raina’s fall, the immediate need of the hour was to stitch together a stabilising partnership, which he achieved with the willing and able Yuvraj Singh for company.

The pair took their time adding 45 (50 balls) so that by the time Dhoni strode out at the start of the 15th over, India needed 67 off 36. More than 11 an over. India couldn’t have asked for a better duo to address the task at hand – the captain was the acknowledged finisher, his deputy the consummate chase master.

When Kohli brought up his half-century, off 39 deliveries with just three fours and a six, the Mohali crowd erupted but the batter’s celebration was muted. After all, there was so much work ahead of him and Dhoni, a work that began in earnest only in the 18th over.

Outstanding running rather than bruising strokeplay had ensured India still were in the hunt, with 39 required off three overs, when Kohli changed gears exponentially. James Faulkner, the tall left-arm quick with wonderful changes of pace, felt the full fury of Kohli’s scything willow as his first three balls went for four, four and six. 19 came off that over, and 16 off the next from Coulter-Nile, courtesy four magnificent Kohli boundaries – two cover-drives, a square-drive and a pull. In the bat of an eyelid, he had hurtled from 50 off 40 to 82 off 51; his last 32 runs came off a mere 11 balls with six fours and a six so that when the last over began, India needed just four for victory.

Dhoni applied the finishing touches with a first-ball four; a delighted but drained Kohli sank to his knees in unalloyed relief, the adrenaline still coursing through the veins. At the peak of his powers then, this was another quintessential Kohli epic. India’s supporters had taken it for granted that Kohli would get the job done. Not for the first time, the lord of the run-chase delivered, in grand style, setting up a semifinal date with eventual champions West Indies.

Brief scores: Australia: 160/6 in 20 overs (Usman Khawaja 26, Aaron Finch 32, Glenn Maxwell 31; Hardik Pandya 2-36) lost to India: 161/4 in 19.1 overs (Virat Kohli 82 n.o.; Shane Watson 2-23). Player of the Match: Virat Kohli (India).