Dubai, Feb 25 (IANS) Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has lauded India star batter Virat Kohli’s ability to step up in crucial moments after the right-hander steered India to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy with a rollicking unbeaten ton.
The game was headlined by Kohli’s carefully crafted unbeaten century, which not only secured India’s win but also saw him achieve remarkable individual milestones.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 off 111 deliveries to keep the momentum, bringing up his 51st ODI ton whic is most by anyone in the format. The 36-year-old also crossed the 14,000-run mark to become only the third batter to do so after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
“I’ve always said big games equal big names. You need your big names to stand up in those big moments, and no bigger game for India than a game against Pakistan,: Ponting told ICC.
“Your reputation is forged in what you do in the biggest contests on the international stage. So it’s no surprise to me that that has happened,” he added, describing Kohli’s unbeaten 100 off 111 balls as a testament to his temperament and ability to deliver in crucial situations,” he said.
This was not the first that Kohli’s brilliance powered India to winover Pakistan; during the chase of 160 at the MCG at the 2022 T20 World Cup it was Kohli, who stepped up and steered his country to victory, hitting 82 from 53 balls in Melbourne.
Ponting drew parallels between the batting stalwart’s clutch knock in Melbourne against the same opponent, which steered India to a win and his brilliance in Dubai.
“Yeah, as you say, 2022 and now, he stood up against the team that he would probably steel himself the most to play against. And no bigger moment than last night when Pakistan had batted first on a tricky wicket. It needed someone at the top of the order to play a match-winning innings like that. And once again, it was Kohli to get the job done,” the ICC Hall of Famer said.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan posted 241 in 49.4 overs, a total that seemed competitive but ultimately fell short against India’s batting prowess. Pakistan had several batters who got starts but failed to convert them into bigger scores, something Ponting pointed out as a key shortfall.
“You look at the two scorecards, it’s one, Virat making a 100, and lots of Pakistan starts without anyone going on and making a big score,” Ponting noted.
“I’ve said forever, in any format of the game, a 50 or a half-century never wins you or your team anything. You have to get big scores. And so the individual big scores weren’t there, but the big partnerships weren’t there either.”
Chasing 242, India lost early wickets, but Kohli anchored the innings with composure and precision. Forming a crucial partnership with Shreyas Iyer (56), he guided India home with several well-timed strokes and controlled aggression.
“He’s obviously been a champion player for a long, long time. And particularly in the white-ball formats, where he’s been an unbelievably good 50-over player. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli. Now that he’s gone past me and only two ahead of him, I’m sure he would want to give himself the best chance to be remembered as the all-time leading run scorer in the game.
“As long as the hunger’s there, obviously physical-wise, he’s probably as fit as he’s ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game,” said Ponting.
Kohli now just 149 runs behind Sangakkara but over 4,000 short of Tendulkar in the list if most ODI runs in a career, Ponting was asked if the latter’s record was within reach.
“It’s crazy when you think about it, isn’t it? Just how good Virat’s been over such a long period of time, yet he’s still 4,000 runs behind Sachin. It just goes to show how good Sachin was, but also his longevity in the game. But with someone like Virat, you never write him off. If the hunger’s still there, then I’m never going to write him off,” Ponting said.
–IANS
bc/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
