Virat Kohli, after scoring his 51st century in ODI cricket during India's complete victory over Pakistan by 6 wickets, spoke about how he won the match. One key aspect he pointed out was controlling the innings pace along with managing the middle overs against spin.
Walking in early after the captain had gotten out within the first 10 overs, Kohli made crucial partnerships, 69 runs with Shubman Gill (46) and a match-sealing 114-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer (56). A century that remained unbeaten for 111 balls and featured seven boundaries also took him to the phenomenal 14,000 ODI run landmark, the fastest ever to that milestone.
It feels good to bat like this in a game of such high importance, with a chance to make the semi-final," Kohli said after being declared Player of the Match. "After Rohit got out, my role was clear-to control the middle overs-batters needed to be careful against spin, and then take on the pacers. I just stuck to my ODI template, which has worked well for me over the years."
He also emphasized how he was able to tune out noise from the outside and concentrate. "I know my game well. The key here is to keep distractions away, manage my energy levels and remain mentally sharp. It's easy to get carried away with the expectations and all hype around games like these, but clarity of thought is important."
With that, Kohli surpassed the now discarded Mohammed Azharuddin as India's highest catcher with the name. He spoke of his dedication towards fielding efficiency "I take immense pride in being a field fielder. I constantly remind myself to give my all when I am on the field. And when you dedicate and work hard, it pays off, and eventually, you will be rewarded. Clarity of shot selection is also of utmost importance-hitting the ball when there is pace on it, one needs to find ways to score."
He also credited his teammates, particularly Gill and Iyer, for their excellent contributions in chasing down the target of 242 with as many as 45 balls to spare. "Shubman handled Shaheen (Afridi) brilliantly, and there is a reason why he is the number one batter in the world. Getting 60-70 runs in the powerplay was crucial otherwise we would have been under pressure later."
"He is coming into his own at number four. He played well in India, and now he is showing it away as well. On top of everyone getting good time in these conditions, all this stands us in good stead for future matches."
Looking forward to India's next match against New Zealand on March 2, Kohli said this taking a week's break was a great thing. "At 36, that week off is a blessing. The level of effort required in these games is massive, so recovery time is always valuable," he concluded.
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