New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): Head coach Gautam Gambhir labelled Virat Kohli’s magical knock against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup in Dhaka as the best ODI inning he has ever seen by an Indian.
The 2012 Asia Cup in Bangladesh is still remembered for many things that unfolded throughout the tournament. India had suffered a five-wicket defeat against Bangladesh before their highly-anticipated match against their arch-rival Pakistan.
In a precarious situation, it was young Kohli who went all guns blazing against a fierce Pakistan bowling line-up with his 183-run knock to take India across the finish line.
“I saw you making your debut and you playing a really important, very good knock in the Champions Trophy in South Africa, on a tricky wicket against the West Indies, against a really good attack,” Gambhir said during an interaction with Kohli in a video posted by BCCI on social media.
“You then played probably the best one-day inning that has been played by an Indian. I have said this before. It is the best inning I have seen because of the quality of the opposition and the quality of attack, the conditions, chasing 300-plus against Pakistan, so you have come a long way,” Gambhir added.
Pakistan were strolling towards victory after posting a mammoth score of 329/6, courtesy of the opening 224-run stand between Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112).
While chasing down the target, India lost Gambhir for a two-ball duck and ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar moments after he scored his fifty.
With the likes of Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, and Hafeez exerting pressure on the Indian batters, Kohli shifted the dynamics of the chase.
He raised the stakes and charged down on the bowlers, taking the pressure off the Indian team’s shoulders with his classic shot selection.
He flicked the ball to find the boundary rope, elegantly chopped the ball to smash fours, and animatedly celebrated his remarkable century against Pakistan.
The entire dressing room stood on their feet to applaud Kohli for his heroics while he kissed the badge on his helmet, taking India closer to a victory for the ages.
Kohli’s 183(148) was laced with a whopping 22 fours and two towering sixes to produce a knock that set the benchmark for many young cricketers. His 172-run stand with Rohit Sharma laid the foundation for a memorable six-wicket win for India.
Gambhir, who now sits at the helm of Indian cricket, will hope to see more memorable knocks from Kohli in their upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, kicking off on Thursday in Chennai. (ANI)
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