Following his game-winning effort in Sunday’s one-day international against New Zealand, batting stalwart Virat Kohli stated that he had changed his strategy to counterattack early in his innings and put bowlers under pressure to turn the tide for India.
In the opening match at Vadodara, India won by four wickets after chasing down a target of 301 with one over to spare thanks to the number three batter’s 93 from 91 balls.
Kohli resisted going into a protective shell after opener Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 26 in the ninth over.
Rather, he took the lead in a crucial 118-run partnership with captain Shubman Gill (56), employing restrained aggression to put New Zealand’s assault on the defensive.
“Well, the basic idea is I bat at No.3,” Kohli said after winning the player of the match award.
“So if the situation is a bit tricky, I back myself to counterattack now rather than just trying to play the situation in because some ball has your name on it.”
Batting great Kohli, now active internationally only in the 50-over format, underlined his enduring class on Sunday by registering his fifth consecutive 50-plus score in ODIs at the age of 37.
Kohli continues to reinvent himself in his 17th year of playing international cricket, stating that he now wants to maximize the first 20 deliveries after arriving at first down.
“There’s no point waiting around for too long. But at the same time, you don’t play outrageous shots. You still stick to your strengths, but you back yourself enough to put the opposition on the back foot. I just felt like if I push hard now in the first 20 balls, then we can probably string in a partnership straight after a wicket like Rohit’s where the opposition is going to go on the back foot. That actually ended up being the difference in the game,” he said.
The second ODI of the three-match series between India and New Zealand is scheduled for Wednesday in Indore.
