The World Cup final is six weeks away but the celebrations among Indian supporters at the Adelaide Oval last night after their 76-run victory over traditional rivals Pakistan suggested they had retained the trophy.
It has been a harrowing four months for the Indian team down-under in Tests and ODIs. They lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 0-2 (with the two drawn matches very much in Australia’s favour) and lost all four games in the Carlton Mid ODI Tri Series to Australia and England.
The morale was very low for MS Dhoni’s men but it was lifted yesterday by their spirited performance against Pakistan in the World Cup match.
Although Pakistan leads India by 72 wins to 51 (with four matches abandoned) in the 127 ODIs played between them, India has thrashed Pakistan 6-0 in World Cup games.
India was in charge throughout yesterday’s match from the moment they won the toss and decided to bat.
Virat Kohli (107 runs) was his usual confident self as he added 129 runs for the second wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (73) and 110 for the third wicket with the adventurous Suresh Raina (74 runs off 56 balls with five fours and three sixes).
Kohli became the first Indian to score a century against Pakistan in a World Cup match. Previously the record was held by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 98 in Centurion in 2003.
Fast medium Sohail Khan took 5 for 55 including the wickets of Kohli, Raina, Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane.
We knew we had a match on our hands when Pakistan was 1 for 79 in reply to India’s 7 for 300 – not a match-winning total on a flat wicket with short boundaries. But then Pakistan started losing wickets thanks to well-judged catches by Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Kohli. Quickie Mohammed Shami finished with 4 for 35.
Everything looked lost for Pakistan but skipper Misbah-ul-Haq played a gallant innings of 76 off 84 balls. It only delayed the end as India won by 76 runs with three overs in hand.
At the presentation ceremony, man-of-the-match Kohli said, “Probably [it was] one of the biggest moment in my career so far. Amazing way to begin our World Cup. Big game against Pakistan, amazing fight from them.
“Expectations are going to be there when you do well for your country. I just look to stand up to them because I hate to lose and play passionately. I like the expectations. Last couple of days have been too tough. Too many people in the hotel getting worked over. You just have to stay in your little space.
“My role in the team is to bat through and the power-hitters can play around me knowing that one end is secure. The way Shikhar and Suresh batted today is commendable. The support has been magnificent. We expect the same throughout the tournament. … Too loud at times for MS to catch our attention!”
“Indeed a very good performance”, added skipper MS Dhoni.
It was the first time I saw him smile in four months.
While a premature retirement isn’t the solution, he or England want, he may be forced into it if he can’t maintain a long run of matches.
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