India’s comprehensive 7-wicket ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 victory over Bangladesh last night provided a shot in the arm to their position on the points table. One of the two unbeaten teams in the tournament thus far, chasing a 257-run target proved to be a cakewalk for the home team in what was the first-ever World Cup match in the Indian city of Pune.
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Wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul, India’s third-highest run-scorer in the tournament at the moment, chipped in with another fruitful contribution to take the team past the victory line.
However, more than Rahul’s batting which saw him score 34* (34) at a strike rate of 100, fans were left in awe of his efforts which allowed former captain Virat Kohli to complete his 48th ODI century. Rahul, who himself missed out on a seventh ODI hundred in their tournament opener against Australia in Chennai earlier this month, earned immense respect from fans for being considerate towards Kohli.
Rahul, who rejected singles from the non-striker’s end on purpose, ensured that Kohli gets maximum time to achieve a personal milestone. Rahul’s benevolent act, however, reminded fans of an entirely contrasting act where former India captain MS Dhoni had deliberately kept strike to finish the innings despite Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar being on the verge of registering the first-ever ODI double century.
MS Dhoni Had Kept Strike Despite Sachin Tendulkar Nearing 200
While Tendulkar had eventually become the first double centurion in the format by running a single in the 50th over of the second ODI against South Africa in Gwalior 13 years ago, it had only become possible after Dhoni faced 17 out of the last 20 balls of the Indian innings.
Tendulkar, who needed a couple of runs to touch the 200-run mark all this while, never really looked fussed about Dhoni guarding the strike. With the then captain scoring 39* (17) in this period, it wasn’t as if he didn’t produce desired returns by running singles on the last balls of the 47th, 48th and 49th overs.
To be fair to Dhoni, one of the reasons why he and Tendulkar were comfortable with this move could’ve been how the latter was cramping during the last few overs. Furthermore, considering how Tendulkar needed only a couple of runs to enter record books for the umpteenth time in his career, they could’ve mutually decided on Dhoni powering India towards a match-winning innings total instead on focusing on one player’s feat.
Having scored 401/3 in 50 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first, readers must note that India had managed to put on board their third-highest ODI innings total at the time.
Four years after this incident, Dhoni had intentionally played a dot ball in a tight run-chase to allow Kohli to hit the winning runs in an ICC World Twenty20 2014 match against South Africa in Mirpur.
Unlike MS Dhoni, KL Rahul Denied Singles To Keep Virat Kohli On Strike
Rahul, who hit a six and a four off consecutive Shoriful Islam deliveries in the 37th over, initially made Kohli’s first ODI century in a successful run-chase in the last four years look like an improbable task.
Having said that, perhaps after realizing how the senior batter could still reach to his 27th ODI hundred in the second innings, Rahul didn’t face a single delivery for the last 19 balls of the match.
Right at the start of this period, it is noteworthy that both Kohli and India needed 27 runs to complete a century and a victory respectively. Kohli, who hit three sixes and a four in this period, sealed the chase with a match-winning ODI ton for the first time since the third ODI against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in 2019.
Kohli, who delayed an Indian victory for his own achievement in a rare move, did annoy and let down a section of Indian fans who wanted him to further better India’s NRR (Net Run Rate) by finishing the match as soon as possible. The 34-year old player, however, was well aware that such a practice on his part would look “selfish” to the outside world. India, who needed to score at less than two runs per over with seven wickets in hand in this period, could easily afford to give Kohli the green light to look for his own benefit.
“He [Virat Kohli] was confused. He said, ‘it will not look too nice, not to take the single, it’s still a World Cup, and it’s still a big stage. I don’t want to look like I am just trying to get the milestone’. But I said, ‘I mean it is not won but still I think we’ll win quite easily. So, if you can get to the milestone why not, you must try.’ And he did that in the end. I wasn’t going to run the singles anyway,” Rahul told host broadcaster Star Sports Network during a post-match interaction at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
Taking into consideration how the Port of Spain century was a second consecutive one for Kohli, Indian fans wouldn’t mind him doing something similar in the next match against New Zealand in Dharamsala on Sunday.
