Virat Kohli has garnered appreciation from Gautam Gambhir, thanks to his gritty knock that helped India overcome Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023 clash between the two sides. The Men in Blue made a disastrous start to their innings, losing three wickets in the first two overs when they had a 200-run target to chase on a tricky wicket at Chepauk.
After Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer all returned for ducks, Kohli joined hands with KL Rahul to begin the rescue operation. Despite taking any unnecessary risk, Kohli took time to get settled at the crease as he went on to rotate the strike with Rahul. The approach has got a thumbs up from Gambhir, who believes Kohli read the situation well and followed the perfect strategy.
During a conversation with the World Cup’s official broadcaster, Gautam Gambhir spoke about Virat Kohli’s rich experience of playing ODI cricket. The cricketer-turned-pundit pointed at Kohli’s unmatched self-confidence, while also underlining his exceptional ability to absorb pressure.
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“I think it’s just the way you read the game. I think it’s very important. First, when you have to chase those big totals, you need to be able to absorb the pressure. You should have this self-belief that you can chase it down from any situation and position. More importantly, when he does that in one-day cricket, you have got to realise it’s not about playing those big shots,” Gambhir explained.
When Kohli returned to the pavilion for 85 runs, India had already reached 167, with KL Rahul still unbeaten at the crease. During his 116-ball innings, Kohli smashed only six boundaries. According to Gambhir, rotating strikes in each ball automatically put pressure on the opponents and Kohli had the same perspective against Australia.
The ex-cricketer further praised Kohli for maintaining his fitness, which no doubt helped him become quicker between the wickets. Going by that, Gambhir thinks the youngsters of the Indian side should take motivation from Kohli.
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“That is very important and that is why he’s so consistent. And I’m sure I think a lot of these young cricketers in the dressing room will learn the importance of fitness, the importance of running between the wicket and the importance of how to rotate the strike in the middle as well,” Gambhir added.
After Kohli was sent off by Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood, KL Rahul took over the charge, with Hardik Pandya coming in as his new partner. The duo completed the remaining task in spectacular fashion, with India chasing down the target in 41.2 overs. Rahul remained not out at 97, while Pandya scored 11 runs.
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