Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.
Venue – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai [December 8-12, 2016].
In the winters of 2016-17, the English Cricket Team toured India to play 5 Tests, 3 ODIs and 3 T20 Internationals. At the conclusion of the Third Test, the hosts were leading the series 2-0. Hence, the fourth test was a must-win game for the visitors to stay alive in the series. English Captain Alastair Cook won the toss and decided to bat first.
The pitch in Mumbai was perfect for batting, and the visitors took full advantage of it. Opener Keaton Jennings scored a marvelous 112 on his debut as the English posted a competitive total of 400 in their first innings. Apart from Jennings, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali scored gritty half-centuries as Indians struggled for wickets. It is interesting to note that all 10 wickets in the first innings were picked by the spinners as pacers failed to strike. Ashwin took 6, whereas Jadeja picked 4 crucial wickets.
In response, India got off to a good start as Murali Vijay scored a solid 136 at the top. But, at one stage, both the teams were on the same footing. The Indian scorecard read 364/7 when Jayant Yadav joined Kohli in the middle. The match was on a knife-edge. However, what followed next was something truly unbelievable. Virat Kohli and Jayant Yadav stitched a massive partnership of 241 runs as the hosts ended up scoring 631 runs in their first innings. To everyone's surprise, No. 9 Jayant Yadav scored a remarkable hundred. But the performance which stood out of all was that of the skipper, Virat Kohli.
Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.
Captain Kohli scored a monumental 235 of 340 deliveries and took his team to a commanding position. The innings was a masterclass. The shots he played were marvelous. To be honest, the commentators ran out of superlatives to describe the innings. It was truly one of the best knocks ever played in the Wankhede Stadium. The crowd were up and cheering their skipper as he demolished the opposition completely.
The English were now on the back foot as they were supposed to bat the remaining hours to save the match. However, the duo of Ashwin (6) and Jadeja (2) just ripped the English batting line-up as the visitors were bowled out for 195 runs in their second innings. Apart from Root and Bairstow, no English batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark as the hosts won the test by an innings and 36 runs.
Captain Kohli was awarded the Man of the Match Award for his brilliant double hundred as the Indians took an unassailable lead of 3-0 in the series.
To watch the innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here.
ReplyDeleteIt was December 11, 2016, when this knock was played. However, even after 9 years the memories are still fresh. The Whites will always miss King Kohli.