Team India's hopes of lifting the ICC World Test Championship title rested in the hands of veterans Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane on Sunday. With India needing 280 runs more to get on the Day 5 of the match at the Oval, the spotlight is understandably on 'chase master' Kohli who has pulled off some dramatic run-chases for the Indian team over the years. The odds were overwhelmingly in Australia's favour and the team proved exactly why by thumping India by 209 runs to lift the Test mace.
But, before the start of play on Day 5, former England captain Nasser Hussain asserted that the match isn't over until Kohli is on the pitch. In fact, when it comes to run-chases, Hussain doesn't feel there's anyone in the world who comes close to the talismanic Indian.
"If there is one player in world cricket that you want in a run chase in any format, it is obviously Virat Kohli," Hussain said on the ICC's Digital Daily after the conclusion of the Day 4 of the WTC Final in London.
"In run chases, in the history of the game, there is Virat Kohli, there is daylight and then there is the rest. He is always going to be the key man," he added.
On Saturday, the ICC also shared a video featuring Kohli where the batter revealed how he goes into each game, thinking he will be the match-winner.
In the video, Kohli explained that he always wants to be the guy who wins the game for his team and isn't someone who is content with mere 'contributions'.
"What motivates me is knowing that the opportunity I have, every game that I play for India to make my team win, I don't think in sport there's any bigger motivation than that. I wake up every morning, in any game that I play, believing that I am going to be the guy who makes my team win. And that's what gets me going. The day that goes off and I am with just the contribution, I know that it won't be the right time for me to continue. But, I am still excited to be the man that helps my team when I am batting out there. I want my team to be comfortable that they can breathe a sigh of relief that I am out there and I can do the job.
"That's something I have always taken a lot of pride in and I feel very grateful to be in a position where the team can expect that from me. I still wake up every morning believing that I can be the man for the team," Kohli said in the video.
from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/cYMIA2m
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment