CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

 

Image Credit—ESPN CricInfo.

Venue: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam [November 17-1, 2016].

In the winters of 2016-17, the English cricket team toured India to play 5 test matches, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20 internationals. The first test in Rajkot ended in a nail-biting draw wherein Captain Kohli played a gritty knock on the final day to save the test for his side. The action for the series now shifted to the eastern coast of the country (Vishakhapatnam). Indian Captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first. The pitch appeared to be batter-friendly, but the duo of Broad and Anderson dismissed both the openers cheaply. The Indian scorecard read 22/2 when Captain Kohli joined Pujara in the middle. The game was on a knife-edge. One more wicket and the visitors would have got the better of the hosts.

However, this is when the duo of Kohli and Pujara stitched a massive partnership of 226 runs and brought the Indians back into the game. Cheteshwar Pujara scored a well-made 119 of 204 deliveries, whereas Captain Kohli, who was in the form of his life, scored a monumental 167 of 267 deliveries. In an innings that lasted for more than 6.5 hours, Kohli hit a total of 18 magnificent boundaries. It was a treat to watch as the innings had everything. From power to placement. Shots that had timing and precision. Captain Kohli was at his very best that day. Apart from Kohli and Pujara, Ashwin too scored a gritty half-century as the hosts were bowled out for 455 in their first innings.

In response, the visitors bundled out for just 255 in their first innings. It is pertinent to note that English players did get a start. Root, Stokes, and Bairstow all scored brilliant fifties, but none of them were able to emulate the duo of Pujara and Kohli. For Indians, Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 5 big wickets as the possibility of a follow-on became wide open.

Surprisingly Captain Kohli decided not to enforce a follow-on, and the Indians came out to bat. However, this time the English bowling line-up came out stronger as the hosts crumbled for just 204 in their second innings. If not for Kohli's 81, the Indian scorecard would not have even crossed the 150 mark. The English now needed 405 runs to win the match and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

But this is when the Indian spin attack ran riot and made a mess of the English batting line-up. The troika of Ashwin (3), Jadeja (2), and Jayant (3) picked 8 wickets in total as the hosts won the game by a massive 246 runs. Furthermore, the bowling was so top-notch that, apart from Captain Cook, no other English batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark as the visitors bundled out for 158 in their 2nd innings.

Captain Kohli was awarded the player of the match award for his excellent contribution with the bat as the series moved forward for another interesting chapter.

To watch the Highlights of that Test Match, Click Here.

To watch the Innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here.