For a moment, it looked like India had left their charge too late. They had let the run rate drift and needed 43 from 19 balls on a slow pitch which had hampered big hitting all night.
The previous 33 overs in the match had seen a dawdling run rate of just 6.8 runs per over, now India needed to score at double that rate under pressure in a knockout match.
That is a gigantic task for regular international cricketers. For Virat Kohli, though, it’s elementary. The Indian superstar has a gobsmacking record in T20Is, with 1552 runs at an average of 55 and 15 half-centuries from just 39 innings.
He has toyed with Australia in this format, cracking 401 runs at 67. But the stat which is most relevant, when assessing Kohli’s extraordinary match-winning exploits, is his average of 92 when India are chasing.
At the other end last night, as India surged into the semi-finals, was MS Dhoni, the man who was the best limited-overs finisher in the world before Kohli built upon his template.
While Kohli was the centre of attention due to his sublime 82* from 51 balls, Dhoni coolly clattered 18* from nine balls. When the equation ballooned out to 43 from 19 balls for an Indian victory, Dhoni kickstarted India’s blitzkrieg, slashing Shane Watson to the third man boundary for four.
Watson had been wonderful with the ball to that point, taking 2-19 from 3.5 overs. The retiring all-rounder handed the ball over to James Faulkner, Australia’s specialist death bowler.
In the previous match against Pakistan, Faulkner had closed out the game calmly and skillfully, befuddling the batsmen with his changes of pace.
He had started well in this knockout clash against India taking 1-13 from his first two overs. But the Indian batsmen have seen a lot of Faulkner and his slower balls in the Indian Premier League – he no longer holds any mystery to them.
Faulkner’s crafty left-arm seamers cut a swathe through the IPL early in his career. In his first 19 IPL matches, Faulkner grabbed 32 wickets at 16.
Then batsmen started to predict his back-of-the-hand slower ball and the Australian lost his edge. As a result, his last 26 IPL matches have seen Faulkner snare just 19 wickets at the awful average of 45.
The Indian batsmen know to play for his slower ball and wait back in the crease, looking for chances to smash his change-ups off the back foot. No one does this better than Kohli, who seems to have complete control over Faulkner.
To start the 18th over at Mohali, Kohli blasted Faulkner for four, four, and six. In the flash of a blade, the equation went from a very difficult 39 runs from 18 balls to a comparative doddle at 25 from 15.
Kohli had broken the chase – he knew it, Dhoni knew it and the body language of the Australians hinted they were not in the dark either. Suddenly it was Australia who needed the miracle to win.
It was not forthcoming as Kohli then rounded on Nathan Coulter-Nile, dispatching him to the boundary four times in the space of five balls.
Kohli’s last 32 runs came from just 11 balls, yet there was no heaving, no luck, no rush. He simply unfurled classical cricket shots imbued with T20 dynamism.
When he is in this mode, Australia have only one bowler capable of stopping Kohli and he was nowhere to be seen.
The moment Mitchell Starc went down injured, Australia’s chances of winning this World Cup nosedived spectacularly. Without the world’s best limited-overs bowler, the Australian attack lacked a cutting edge.
But even with Starc on the field, Australia have never been an elite T20 side. They had an outside chance of winning this tournament just because that is the nature of T20 – the compressed format makes for unpredictable results.
On Sunday, however, they were bossed by the man who has become arguably the best limited-overs batsman on the planet. Kohli mauled Australia and may yet carry India on his own back to a World T20 triumph.
Tom from Perth
Guest
Bailey was poor in the last wt20
Swampy
Guest
NCN bowled 3 half volleys outside off. And a half tracker on leg. Were you not watching? That over was a disaster. Prior to that he bowled well. The pressure got him.
Swampy
Guest
Zampa went for 11 runs off 2. Was our most economical bowler though NCN bowled ok prior to crumbling under the pressure Kohli put on him.
ozinsa
Guest
Not sure we were actually that poor. Probably 10-15 short and Smith had to find a way to get 4 from Zampa but the death bowling wasn't rubbish. One really bad ball from NCN but Kholi hit full wide balls where fielders weren't. Don't like him but he's a great player. No Starc and Warner's so so form hurt. Also wish Boyce had toured. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Bobbo7
Guest
There is a fair argument to have Kawaja there. The issue is more with the lack of guys who can rotate strike in middle overs. That is where Bailey and Voges were needed.
Mango Jack
Guest
And top-scored vs Bangladesh and NZ with a 50 in there.
Bobbo7
Guest
Yes, he made 20 a couple of times. Hardly the same form of the BBL
Mango Jack
Guest
And drop Khawaja? He's one of our only batsmen consistently scoring, and quickly too.
Mango Jack
Guest
My wife would select him. Something about eye candy.
Mango Jack
Guest
The other really impressive part is that he doesn't have to resort to silly T20 style shots like switches and ramp shots that are generally very low percentage. He likes to step across his stumps a bit but most, if not all, his shots were classic cricket strokes.
Chris
Guest
Yeah i didnt realise how good his average was. Over 50 in 20/20 is bloody impressive.
kevin dustby
Guest
yep, hes the best or close to it. good to see the arm sleeve tatts have spread to india as well. stay classy
Naresh Kumar Sharma
Guest
Aussie captain Steve Smith committed big blunder by not giving Zampa 18th over. Zamppa may have gone for 15 runs but also picked up a wicket which would have halted Indian chase. Though Usman Khawaj gave good starts but he is guilty of wasting good starts and driving home the advantage for Australia. David Warner who came good in South Africa continues to struggle against spinners and his inability to rotate strike and unleash release stroke made him a walking wicket. Steve Smith has also been a big failure as he failed to shepherd middle-order and more often than not looked uneasy at the crease. Falukner appeard to be not fully fit and also lacks pace and skills to either restrict the batsmen or take wickets.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
Very well written. The result of this game was Kohli 1 - Aussies 0. It had little to do with the performance of the rest of the Indian team, with the exception of Nehra, who really bowled well except for the short pitched first ball of the spell which was hit for 4. Yes the Aussies missed Starc, but to be fair, the only point I disagree with your analysis on is Coulter-Nile. He did bowl reasonably well through the tournament. Faulkner, for me, has always been a bit of an enigma. I have never understood his success as a bowler. He is predictable, and Kohli, for one, had his measure a very long time ago. In the last series in Australia, when Faulkner tried to do a bit of talking on the field to one of the batsmen, I remember Kohli walking up to him with a finger on his lips, and the stump cam picking up the message - "why dont you stop talking? Haven't I beaten up your bowling enough?".... As far as messages go, that's pretty clear:) I will miss Watson on the field. Always been a huge fan of the man and his commitment and passion for the game.
Chris
Guest
Well thats what seperates the best from merely the very very good. The bigger the occasion the better they like it.
Bobbo7
Guest
Kohli was brilliant. No doubt about that but lets be honest - Australia served up absolute rubbish in the last five overs. If you bowl half trackers to guys like Kohli you should expect to get carted. Australia simply does not get T20 cricket at international level. Too many big hitters who only come off once in a while and not enough run a ball players for the middle overs. Smith had no right to be in the side. Open with Finch & Warner, Bailey at 3, Voges at 4, then Maxwell, Watson etc and you would have a far more balanced side. NZ has done well because they have Williamson and Elliot to knock the ball around the big hitters. Again, full credit to Kolhi, it was a great knock but Australia has not got its head around T20 cricket yet
Paul D
Roar Guru
There is a summer solstice worth of daylight between Kohli and the rest in 20/20 cricket at the moment. The guy is averaging 55.42 in 20/20 matches, at a strike rate of 133. Next is Finch on 38, strike rate of 150. It’s not surprising he is dominating games, clearly the world’s best batsman in this format.
Aransan
Guest
I really wonder if anyone in the history of the game could have matched Kohl's performance, especially taking into account the pressure and match conditions.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
He bowled consistently well in BBL. Held his nerve against KP in final, and got the better of him. Instead we went with Agar, who did not even bowl regularly in BBL. As I said, the selection just did not make sense. Don't even get me started on Boyce.
Amith
Guest
Kohli has to be number 1 in the world in this format