MELBOURNE: Welcome to the T20 World Cup. Welcome to Virat Kohli's world. All 90,293 breathless spectators, Indians and Pakistanis, stood up as one at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to applaud the brilliance of India's most complete all-format batter after he hit 82 not out off 53 balls to pull off one of India's most memorable victories in their T20 history.
AS IT HAPPENED: INDIA VS PAKISTAN
Kohli said he "will count this higher" than his 82* off 51 balls against Australia in Mohali (in 2016 T20 WC), which "was my best innings" so far.
Kohli is back, and there can be no better news for India as they begin their World Cup campaign in difficult conditions in Australia. He took control of a chase of 160 in the company of Hardik Pandya on a pacy, bouncy pitch after India had collapsed to 31/4 in 6.1 overs. Kohli and Pandya believed, putting on 113 runs for the fifth wicket as India got out of jail by four wickets.
May be he had started doubting himself, maybe the cobwebs of the mind had kept him from playing at his best. Maybe he needed this biggest of stages to free himself from self-imposed shackles.
It was only when KL Rahul and the others rushed to give him a bear hug that Kohli was jolted out of his reverie. He merely pointed a finger up at the sky, as if to remind himself of his capabilities. The younger Kohli would have jumped and screamed in exultation after playing a knock like this under extreme pressure. This Kohli is older, more calculated, more measured but as hungry.
Kohli later revealed that after the end of 18 overs, with India still needing 31 off the last two, he decided he would take on Pakistan’s most fiery, best bowler on the day, Haris Rauf. “If I could take Haris down, they would panic,” he said. It was an approach only the most audacious, the most desperate or the most talented can take. It came off.
1/10:'Miracle in Melbourne': Virat Kohli enthralls fans in a cliffhanger
2/10:Turning back time
<p>Virat Kohli turned back the clock, producing a chasing masterclass as India beat Pakistan in a cliffhanger.</p>
3/10:Kohli's MCG magic
<p>Kohli entertained the 90,000-plus fans at the iconic MCG, smacking 82* in India's 4-wicket win.</p>
4/10:The last-ball thriller
<p>Chasing a tricky 160, India crossed the finish line on the final ball of the epic battle.</p>
5/10:Kohli steadies tottering chase
<p>India were 31/4 at one stage but Kohli and Hardik helped India steady the chase.</p>
6/10:The century stand
<p>Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya (40) shared 113-run stand for the 5th wicket.</p>
7/10:Back-to-back sixes off Rauf
<p>Kohli ended penultimate over from Haris Rauf with 2 sixes bringing equation to 16 off last 6 balls.</p>
8/10:India's real chance
<p>Kohli's 2 sixes off Rauf brought down equation to 16 off final over, giving India a real chance in chase.</p>
9/10:No-ball six in final over
<p>Kohli hit a six in the final over as well while Ashwin hit the winning run off the final ball.</p>
10/10:Emotions galore
<p>The epic win was followed by skipper Rohit lifting Kohli in celebration, photos of which took internet by storm.</p>The fifth ball, Kohli came up with an incredible shot, a six straight over the bowler’s head which Hardik Pandya later described, shaking his head, as “unbelievable”. The next one was another six, a six over fine leg, and Rauf, the MCG veteran who plays for Melbourne Stars, was down on his knees. The momentum had shifted. “That was the moment when we knew it had come our way,” skipper Rohit Sharma later said.
“It’s a surreal atmosphere. ” Kohli said, “I honestly have no words. I have no idea how it happened. Hardik kept telling me, just believe we can stay till the end. I’m lost for words. All these months when I was struggling, you guys kept me going.”
India still needed 16 from the last over but they knew they would face the slow left-arm spin of Mohammad Nawaz. “I bowled out the quicks earlier because we needed wickets. That was the call I took,” Pakistan skipper Babar Azam would say later. The first ball, Hardik mistimed a slog straight to cover point. Fourth ball, Kohli hit a full toss for six, and it was called a no-ball for height! Pakistan was choking. One wide and three byes later, with two needed off two, Dinesh Karthik was stumped before Ashwin sealed the deal.
1/10:T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli shines in India's win over Pakistan
2/10:Imperious Virat
<p>Virat Kohli struck an imperious half-century as India secured a four-wicket win on the final ball against arch-rivals Pakistan at the T20 World Cup.</p>
3/10:'Shocked' Nawaz
<p>Pakistan's spinner Mohammad Nawaz gifted India two wides and a no-ball in the final over before Ashwin coolly blasted the winning run over mid-off as India chased down 160 for victory.</p>
4/10:Kohli-Pandya partnership
<p>Man-of-the-match Kohli was magnificent, driving India to the brink of victory with 82 not out after digging the team out of trouble in a brilliant partnership with Hardik Pandya (40).</p>
5/10:Fantastic Kohli goes ballistic
<p>Pakistan were cruising to what seemed a morale-boosting victory but Kohli went ballistic with the bat in the final overs to bring India home in front of 90,293 screaming fans at MCG.</p>
6/10:Kohli hits Rauf for back-to-back sixes
<p>Kohli thrashed back-to-back sixes in the penultimate over against Haris Rauf to push India within 15 runs of victory from the final six balls.</p>
7/10:Nawaz gets rid of Pandya
<p>With Kohli off strike, Nawaz had Pandya caught in close with a miscued slog to break a 113-run partnership.</p>
8/10:Kohli hits six off a no-ball
<p>Kohli took back the strike and hit a six off a no-ball as the wheels fell off for Nawaz, who then bowled a wide.</p>
9/10:Kohli bowled off a free-hit delivery
<p>Kohli was bowled off the free hit on the next ball but the ball rattled for three byes off the stumps.</p>
10/10:Karthik gets stumped
<p>With two balls left and two runs required, Nawaz had Dinesh Karthik stumped but bowled a wide on what would have been the last ball of the over.</p>There was a top-order wobble earlier in the day too, when Pakistan batted. It was Arshdeep Singh who starred with the ball, getting Babar Azam out first ball and showing that precocious talent had translated to a proven performer. But India still leaked 99 runs in the last 10 overs as Iftikhar Ahmed and Shan Masood scored half-centuries to give Pakistan’s quicks something to defend.
In the end, Kohli’s brilliance overshadowed them all.
