There used to be time when Micheal Bevan was the standard bearer for chasers in the game, as the Aussie was widely considered to be the best in the business when it came to chasing down a target.
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That baton was then passed on to MS Dhoni, as the former India skipper made a career out of taking his side across the finish line. But while Dhoni was, and still is, quite brilliant at run chases, he does not even come close to the phenomenon that is Virat Kohli.
The Indian skipper stroked a wonderful 112, as Kohli held the innings together and guided India to a commanding victory in the first ODI against South Africa in Durban.
Kohli’s chance less knock was well supported by Ajinkya Rahane, who himself scored a lovely 79 to ensure that India did not suffer any major hiccups en route to the target.
After the match, Kohli took the opportunity to praise his bowlers and also explained why he had such an exuberant celebration after reaching his hundred.
“Yeah, it was quite special. We wanted to take the confidence from Jo’Burg to here. We wanted one good partnership. Very very happy for Jinks as well. It is easier to break down the total when you have a number on the board.”
“I like to understand the game. I had never scored an ODI hundred in South Africa. Thus, the celebration. It was my knee but my groin took the impact(talking about his injury when India were fielding). The outfield for me was quite dangerous.”
“I am ok now. Bhuvi and Bumrah again, we bank on them. The two wrist spinners have been making the difference for us. Having two wrist spinners I mentioned in the press conference is a huge advantage. It augurs well for the team when you have two fearless youngsters. They set their own field as well. ”
“They will have to keep this going for the rest of the series. Jinks has a good technique and he took the confidence from the last game and never had doubts in his mind. He batted positively and I could solidify the situation from the other end. Hats off to him, he was outstanding.”
