Former India cricketer Varun Aaron didn’t mince words after Virat Kohli’s spectacular unbeaten 74 led India to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Australia in the third ODI in Sydney on October 25th. After the Indian bowlers dismissed Australia for 236, Kohli, alongside Rohit Sharma, forged an unbreakable 168-run partnership to comfortably chase down the target with nine wickets and 69 balls to spare, securing India’s sole win in the three-match series.
This match-winning chase was particularly significant for Kohli, who had endured two consecutive ducks in the previous matches. He began his innings cautiously, taking a single off his very first delivery, and proceeded to hit seven boundaries during his impressive 81-ball stay at the crease, demonstrating a measured yet effective comeback.
Virat Kohli (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)
Rohit Sharma played a pivotal supporting role, scoring an unbeaten 121 off 125 deliveries. Together, the dynamic duo steered India to a comfortable win, their partnership a masterclass in controlling a chase and maintaining a consistent scoring rate throughout the innings.
“Virat Kohli is like one of those old tractors. It just needs a little fire to start. It doesn’t start on a normal ignition. When Virat has some fire burning in him, you set Virat loose to chase down a target, this is what he gives you. Chanceless batting,” Aaron remarked during his appearance on Star Sports’ ‘Follow the Blues.’
Aaron further elaborated on Kohli’s mindset: “The over from (Josh) Hazlewood was where he got going. He got that one run, acted like he had got a hundred because it means a lot to him. Even now when he turns up for India, he wants to win games for India, wants to score hundreds and fifties. Most fifties by an Indian in a winning cause. So the records just keep tumbling when Rohit (Sharma) and Kohli bat.”
Adding to the analysis, former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel highlighted Kohli’s disciplined approach to finding his rhythm again after facing two consecutive zeroes in the series.
“Virat was coming after scoring two zeroes. The kind of batter he is, you want him to score runs because the fans love him a lot. All of us know the kind of quality he has. If you respect time, time respects you,” Patel observed on the show.
Patel continued, “Virat did that only. He spent some time on the ground. He allowed the ball to come to him. He didn’t look too rushed. We see skillful shots in any case, but once he had spent 10-15 minutes, we saw the autopilot mode in Virat’s batting.”
Kohli’s innings perfectly encapsulated his renowned style of gradually building an innings. He quickly hit three fours in his initial 16 deliveries before strategically focusing on rotating the strike with singles and doubles. His next boundary arrived only after he had faced 49 deliveries, clearly illustrating his patient and calculated approach to the chase.
This crucial performance marked India’s inaugural victory in the three-match ODI series against Australia, with Kohli’s return to form and his formidable partnership with Rohit Sharma proving absolutely vital in successfully reaching the target of 237 runs.