Virat Kohli admits to not executing the final frontier in chase despite big win vs AUS: 'That's the template I follow…'
Virat Kohli also admitted that he failed to execute the final plan and finish the chase on his own as he was dismissed on 84 when India were on 225.
Batting maestro Virat Kohli stepped on the occasion again to pave the way for India's five-wicket win over Australia in the big-ticket Champions Trophy semifinal. Kohli and India overcame the ghosts of the past and took revenge on Australia for the 2023 ODI World Cup final heartbreak and knocked them out of the tournament. Kohli controlled the chase with his presence in the middle as he manoeuvred the singles quite comfortably throughout his innings to put India in command.
The star batter didn't rely on boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving and rotated strike at complete ease to stitch crucial partnerships with Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and KL Rahul.
The 36-year-old said that the plan for him was the same as the Pakistan clash where he scored his 51st ODI century.
"I think it was pretty similar to the other day against Pakistan as well. I think there was about seven fours when I got a hundred. For me it's about just understanding the conditions, preparing my game accordingly, just rotating strike. Because partnerships on this pitch are the most important thing. My only effort that day and today was to string in enough partnerships," Kohli said in the post-match presentation after he was named Player of the Match.
He also admitted that he failed to execute the final plan and finish the chase on his own as he was dismissed on 84 in the attempt to hit a big shot.
"I think the time that I got out the plan was to get 20 more and then try and finish it off in couple of overs. Usually that's the template I follow but sometimes you can't execute things how you want to. It's all dependent on the conditions," he added.
Kohli, who has mastered the art of chase, stabilised the Indian innings with a 91-run stand for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer. The batting maestro opened up on his approach and said getting involved in a big partnership settled his nerves down.
"The pitch tells me how the cricket needs to be played and then I just switch on and play accordingly. I wasn't feeling desperate. I was pretty happy knocking ones around. And when as a batsman you start taking pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, that's when you know you're playing good cricket. And then you know you're in for a big partnership and settle the nerves down a little bit and head towards chasing the total down. So that for me in the game against Pakistan and today, that was the most pleasing factor for me," he added.
‘Milestones happen along the way towards victory’: Virat Kohli
Kohli got out when India were 225 as he went for an aerial shot off Adam Zampa's delivery and got caught by Ben Dwarshuis for 84. He talked about missing the milestone and said these are things which don't matter to him anymore.
"When you don't think of those milestones, they happen along the way towards victory. For me, it's all about taking pride and doing the job for the team. And if I get to the three-figure mark, great. If not, nights like these, you win, it's a happy dressing room. You go back, you feel grateful for what happened out there and then you put your head down, work hard and go all over again. So that's what I've done all my career. For me, those things don't matter anymore. For me, it's just about stepping up and hopefully doing the job for the team," he concluded.
