The right-hander produced his highest ODI score to propel the World Cup champions to a remarkable 321 for three off just 36.4 overs and secure the extra point with 20 balls to spare. The bonus point enabled India to draw level with Sri Lanka on 15. The World Cup runners-up now need to beat Australia on Friday to reach the best-of-three match finals against the hosts.
My best, says Kohli
The 23-year-old was the stand-out man-of-the-match with 16 fours and two sixes in an ODI featuring three century-makers and a combined total of 641 runs off 86.4 overs.
“That was the best one-day innings I’ve played in my career,” said Kohli. “We needed to pull off a win with a bonus point and we were able to do that so I’m really happy. I’ve been believing in myself every day and waking up and thinking I belong here and that I can score runs at the international level. That’s the biggest thing that has kept motivating me on this tour.”
Sri Lanka left disappointed
India came into the Hobart match on the back of three defeats and a tie and their problems were magnified when in-form Sri Lanka appeared to set a daunting target.
Tillakaratne Dilshan equalled his best one-day score of 160 and Kumar Sangakkara smashed a ton to push Sri Lanka’s total to 320 for four off 50 overs. But captain Mahela Jayawardene was a disappointed man.
“They had the licence to go for it, there was nothing left for them to do but to go for it,” said Jayawardene. “It’s tough to try to stop somebody going like that, everything Kohli hit was pretty solid today.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 29th, 2012.
COMMENTS (16)
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Our Indian friends should take heart that a Pakistan newspaper has acknowedged India's amazing victory and should stop bashing Pak team here. It was indeed a great performance by Indian batsmen and the title of this article seems to have been inspired by the comments on Cricinfo's commentary at the end of that match. It is always a pleasure to watch such good cricket, no matter who is playing it. Cricket should be enjoyed for what it is, rather than being turned into another battleground. Don't we have enough of those already?
@The Truth: pakistan is further lower ranked team then India, so we can call India better than Pakistan. @Adeel Ahmed: who cares past, things had changed alot. if you want to stuck in past go on. also if you can, try last decades record, and that of world cup record- its 5-0.
Head-to-head: Pakistan lead 69-46 (NR: 4)
Mind the Gap.There is a reason the team that is world champion is presently ranked 3rd... and that also only recently climbed up the ladder once their own media compared them to Pakistani team and gave them a right bollocking...
forever living in our shadows...@Tamil Arasan "@Adeel Ahmed: also for your information India won the One-day and test series in Pakistan the last two times we toured Pakistan and in-fact we won the last one-day series very convincingly with a margin of 4-1 against you…"
I think Adeel Ahmed is talking of decent opposition and not Pakistan.
@Adeel Ahmed: also for your information India won the One-day and test series in Pakistan the last two times we toured Pakistan and in-fact we won the last one-day series very convincingly with a margin of 4-1 against you...
@Adeel Ahmed: thanq for invitation. at least we can play @ our home, here some others not even able to play at their own home.
@Adeel Ahmed: The first world cup to be won by a team other than West Indies - India in England. The world championship series in Australia.
@Adeel Ahmed: are you new to cricket??? India did exceptionally well in our last tour of Australia in test and one-day series, in-fact we won the 2007-08 edition of the Commonwealth Bank Series held in Australia. India won the event with a 2-0 sweep of the hosts in the final series.
What you have is hate towards India so you can't see any good things about India...
India not n.o 1 team in the world b'coz it's just bad luck for srilanka they will win against austrailia and cick out the india from the CB series
@Adeel Ahmed:
Dear, console yourselves, 'still they are world champions', period.
@Adeel Ahmed: let me remind u mr. A A last time india was the winner of the CB series. and u looser couldn't win series against england despite fixing all the matches.so stop this all clown talking
india and pakistan in competition for the title of most unpredictable team.
They are world champions because they were playing at home... I can't remember a series which they have won against a decent opposition outside India...
Thanks for the heading.