Kohli run-ning show, winning battles

CHENNAI: “I think there was about seven fours when I got a hundred (against Pakistan). For me, it’s about just understanding the conditions, preparing my game accordingly, just rotating strike. Because partnerships on this pitch are the most important thing and my only effort that day and today was to string in enough partnerships.” That was India batter Virat Kohli after the match-winning 84 against Australia in the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday.

One Day International cricket is not the same as it was when Kohli started out in the late 2000s. Since then multiple double centuries have been made, several ceilings have been broken in terms of totals and boundaries hit. By and large, just the way teams look at what is expected to be a par total on a given surface has changed dramatically.

England were the front-runners of such a transformation through 2015-19 and India took a leaf out of their book post 2022. So much so that England captain Jos Buttler reiterated on multiple occasions that they want to do what Rohit Sharma and his lads are doing with the bat during the three-match series before the Champions Trophy. While there are several factors and viewpoints to this change in dynamic, two new balls and flatter pitches included, at the core of it all is the shortest format and batters adapting to it, while applying the same through 50 overs.

The thing about this though is that when it comes off, the batters look great. But when it doesn’t, they are blamed. It is a sword you have to live and fall by. As it was the case when Rohit fell during the ODI World Cup final in 2023 or what Brendon McCullum did in the 2015 ODI WC final — both against Australia. What it also means is that many tend to struggle while building an innings, especially on pitches where the ball does not necessarily come on to the bat.

Only few, despite adapting to the modern ethos of batting and hitting in white-ball cricket, have been able to retain the qualities of building an innings. Kohli is perhaps at the front and centre of it, along with England’s Joe Root. He was the leading run-scorer for India during the ODI World Cup at home — 765 runs at an average of 95.62 while striking at 90.31 — with Rohit to follow (597 runs, 54.27 AVG, 125.94 SR). India’s batting depth allows him to play the anchor while the rest bat around him and express themselves freely.