Ashton Agar noted that bowlers find it challenging to pressure Virat Kohli in ODI cricket primarily due to his exceptional strike rotation ability. Following Kohli’s match-winning 84 runs in the Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai, Agar elaborated that Kohli’s skill in alleviating pressure by expertly finding gaps makes him one of the most formidable ODI batsmen. This, combined with the power-hitting of his teammates, makes it exceptionally difficult for opposing teams to defend totals against India.
Agar described Kohli’s innings as a ‘masterclass’, emphasizing that bowlers seldom feel dominant against a batsman of his caliber. He explained, “The frustrating aspect of bowling to him isn’t just his boundary-hitting capability, but the fact that you can’t build pressure. It’s incredibly challenging to dismiss him because you rarely feel in control unless the pitch offers significant spin, which is uncommon in ODI cricket.”
Agar further analyzed Kohli’s technique: “He has an amazing ability to convert even your best deliveries – those pitching on top of middle stump with slight away spin – into scoring opportunities. He holds the bat face slightly longer, opening it at the last moment to find the cover point gap. He’s arguably the world’s best at this, making it extremely hard to apply pressure.”
Regarding India’s overall batting performance, Agar commented, “India batted around Virat wonderfully. The incoming batsmen maintained the scoring rate, allowing Virat to play his natural game, occasionally hitting boundaries and consistently rotating the strike. A statistic revealed that Virat has accumulated the most singles since 2000, which is remarkable. It was a masterclass from him, supported by valuable contributions from the other batsmen.”
Kohli’s innings of 84 included 64 runs accumulated through singles and doubles, steadily shifting the game’s momentum away from Australia. Despite being dismissed by leg-spinners six times since early 2024, averaging just 12 against them, he effectively countered Tanveer Sangha and Adam Zampa, scoring 35 runs off 33 balls against them before Zampa eventually dismissed him. Sanjay Manjrekar observed Kohli’s return to back-foot play against spin.
Manjrekar commented on the current fielding restrictions: “With five fielders inside the circle now, it’s not as straightforward as it was in our time with only four. Rarely does he hit the ball directly to a fielder without scoring.”
He added, “The previous issue against spin, where he struggled to rotate strike, seems to be resolved. Today’s innings confirmed his excellent footwork, playing late off the back foot and consistently finding gaps. He was the best at finding gaps on both sides of the field [on Tuesday].”
Anil Kumble expressed his continued admiration for Kohli’s knack for making challenging run chases appear easy. “He rarely makes mistakes,” Kumble stated. “He’s completely in control, especially during run chases. In a chase of around 265, he maintains total control, except for the single chance offered to Maxwell. This control isn’t limited to this innings; it’s evident every time he bats in a run chase. He consistently controls the situation.”
Kohli’s recent half-century marked his third in Champions Trophy semi-finals and his fifth in ICC knockout matches. He is now just one half-century shy of Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six fifty-plus scores in ICC knockout games, and India is one win away from securing two consecutive ICC titles.
