Virat Kohli, India's ray of hope

COLOMBO: Earlier this week during a warm-up game, India's T20 World Cup hopes were nearly 'smashed' when their best batsman, Virat Kohli, received a beamer from Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Sami that would have taken the batsman's head off had it connected. Luckily for India, Kohli somehow managed to avoid getting hit. The very next ball, this brightest jewel in the Indian batting crown showed what he is all about, slamming Sami for a six over long off.

In that game, Kohli played several exquisite strokes, including a 'straight hit' that nearly hit bowler Sohail Tanvir even as umpire Nigel Llong was forced to take evasive action. There was a six over cover off Saeed Ajmal that took one's breath away.

Kohli's unbeaten 75 off 47 balls in that match, and his 50 off 39 balls against Afghanistan — his third consecutive fifty in T20 cricket — further drove home the point that he is now the backbone of the batting order. With the openers out of form and the bowling appearing shaky, Kohli offers the brightest ray of hope for Indian cricket.

Kohli has become the first Indian batsman to hit three fifties on the trot in T20s. In ODIs, he hit an 86-ball, unbeaten 133 at Hobart against Sri Lanka, a knock which former Aussie batsman Dean Jones felt was as good as Viv Richards' epic, unforgettable 189.

Kohli then smashed 183 against Pakistan: the highest international score against them. In Tests, he won India a game at Bangalore last month with scores of 103 and 51 not out.

Former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar, who introduced Kohli to international cricket during his tenure as the chief selector, back in 2008 for an ODI tour to Sri Lanka, is a proud man today, having seen his 'pick' come a long way now. "I feel glad seeing him now. Everything about him is impressive.

He remained focused on improving his batting. He thinks about his game, and he has done brilliantly in international cricket for himself," Vengsarkar told TOI on Friday from Mumbai. The words of praise don't just stop there. "He has gone from strength to strength and has now become the mainstay of the Indian batting," he adds.

What was it about Kohli that 'clicked' with Vengsarkar? "At the highest level, other than skills and technique, you need mental toughness too. That mental toughness depends from person to person. I saw that toughness in him when he controlled the innings during a game against New Zealand 'A' in the Emerging Players' Tournament Down Under. I had a gut feeling that he would perform well."

Even the Sri Lankans are becoming members of the Kohli fan club. Former Lankan batsman Hashan Tillakaratne, one of the stars of the 1996 World Cup winning team, feels the 23-year-old Delhi lad "is the best young cricketer in world cricket currently." "He looks organized at the crease. He seems hungry and determined for runs," Tillakaratne says.

For a few years at least, the spot at No 3 in ODIs and T20s, and at No 5 (maybe even No 3) in Tests looks secure.

Dhoni helps India reach respectable total in warm-up game

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored an unbeaten half-century as India overcame early jitters to post a respectable 146 for five against Sri Lanka in their opening warm-up match of the World Twenty20 at the P Sara Oval In Colombo on Saturday.

Dhoni’s unbeaten 42-ball 55, including four fours and three sixes, revived India’s fortunes after Sri Lankan bowlers had initially pushed the visitors on to the backfoot with early wickets.


Reeling at 51 for four at one stage, Dhoni, in the able company of Rohit Sharma (37), put up a 78-run stand for the sixth wicket to take India to a decent total.

Opting to bat, India not only lost Gautam Gamhir, who retired hurt in the very first over, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina also failed to lay a strong foundation.

It was Nuwan Kulasekara who provided the Lankans the early breakthroughs by sending back both Sehwag (12) and Raina (13) cheaply in the fifth over.


Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh were expected to steady the boat but Angelo Mathews spoilt the Indians’ plan by dismissing the former for eight.


Yuvraj, who made an emotional return to international cricket scoring a 26-ball 34 against New Zealand in a T20 match, also could not put up any resistance as Rangana Herath struck in the very next over to leave India struggling at 51 for four in 8.3 overs.


Yuvraj fell for a 12-ball 11, that included two fours.

However, Dhoni and Rohit managed to consolidate the team’s position and take the score past 100.

In the last over, Rohit fell for a 26-ball 37 with four hits to the fence and a six.

Scoreboard:

India:

G Gambhir retired hurt 5
V Sehwag c Eranga b Kulasekara 12
S Raina c Munaweera b Kulasekara 12
V Kohli c Munaweera b Mathews 8
Yuvraj Singh c Sangakkara b Herath 11
R Sharma c Jayawardene b Malinga 37
MS Dhoni not out 55
I Pathan not out 2

Extras: (LB-1, W-2, NB-1) 4
Total: (For 5 wickets; 20 overs) 146
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-32, 3-46, 4-51, 5-129.

Bowling: Lasith Malinga 4-0-50-1, Nuwan Kulasekara 4-0-39-2, Shaminda Eranga 2-0-10-0, Thisara Perera 3-0-17-0, Angelo Mathewa 2-0-6-1, Rangana Herath 3-1-8-1, Jeevan Mendis 2-0-15-0.

The youngsters are hungry for more: Dhoni

India lies in the bottom half of the ICC Twenty20 rankings table, but captain M.S. Dhoni feels this hardly matters in the shortest format of the game.

“It’s a very different format. You have to be innovative. You have to play smart and, at the same time, bold cricket,” Dhoni said.

“It’s about playing good cricket that day for three-and-a-half hours… actually it is not even three-and-a-half hours. One good innings from an individual can take the game away from the opposition. Anything can happen.

“You just hope to be consistent and good throughout the tournament, especially in the knockout stages. Maybe, in the league stages, you can have a bad game. But, in the knockout stages if you have a bad game, you will be going home,” he said.

The ICC T20 World Cup is quite different to the Indian Premier League (IPL) since most of the teams which take part in it are much more balanced sides. “Apart from the format, the IPL and T20 World Cup are slightly different… playing in the IPL does help.

  

The good thing is that most of our batsmen and bowlers have played a lot of T20 cricket. Which means they know how to execute a plan well,” said Dhoni.

   

What else is left to achieve for Dhoni, who has led India to the world T20 title as well as the ICC World Cup (50-over format)?

  

“I don’t mind repeating it,” quipped Dhoni. “We have a very good side. That’s a big positive for us. I feel the youngsters who have come into the side are really hungry for more. They want to do well for the country,” added the Indian skipper.

  

Practice game

Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez said he was looking forward to the practice match against India ahead of the tournament.

   

In his opinion, playing against India was always a high-pressure game and it would be good if the team got the experience beforehand.

The Pakistan players were part of the Sri Lanka Premier League in August and the experience would come in handy, he added.

   

Asked about Pakistan’s chances in Group D, the Group of Death which also has New Zealand and Bangladesh, Hafeez said his team would play hard and hope for the best.