Near the end of October, on a Sydney night after he had an unbeaten 168-run partnership with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli reflected on the two successive ducks prior to that game.
“You might’ve played international cricket for a long time, but the game shows you ways (on his ducks).” The game also bestows, as it has done now with two successive hundreds against South Africa. Both pitches in this series were flat, but the knocks were fascinatingly contrasting. If the Ranchi had a sense of furiousness about it, where he charged the pacers and was more aggressive than usual, the Raipur hundred was serenity personified — like the ODI master of the old.
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Even the security personnel in the ground knew the hundred was a done deal. As soon as he reached 70, the walkie-talkies crackled. “Cheyy number (6) team ko bolna, taiyaar rahe boundary pey (Inform Team 6 to stay alert near the boundary line),” said a chief official in charge. At Ranchi, a fan had burst through from the stands, leaped over the fence, to fall at the feet of Kohli, who had just got his hundred. They didn’t want a repeat in Raipur, and so the guards spread all around the boundary line, and stood facing the crowd who were soaking up yet another Kohli special.
Every element was present. The brisk imperious walk to the middle, the passionate running between the wicket, the composed taps, crafty nudges, feisty punches, occasional imposing pulls, and the leap-roar-fist celebration. The Kohli faithful would also have smiled at the distinct black wrist band just below the left elbow, and the crossing of legs with the MRF bat resting on the ground at the non-striker’s end. The No.18 fake jerseys all around the park were enjoying the real deal bat, run, walk, smile, guiding the younger Ruturaj Gaekwad through nervy times.
He started with a six to get off the mark of the fourth ball, but it was a shot of reaction, rather than aggression. The delivery from Lungi Ngidi had risen to a comfortable height around chest high on the leg and middle line, and Kohli shifted into his ever-so-smooth-swivel-pull. There was a flicked four couple of balls later, but he didn’t hit another four for 12 overs. That was an act of aggression as he walked down the track to the seamer Corbyn Bosch and used a bottom-hand whip to send the ball hurtling past a startled Gaekwad.
Yet another serene passage followed where he kept bunting the ball around for comfortable singles. He would drive the spinners to long-on to rotate strike, or press back to nurdle past square-leg.
There was this utter ease about his knock. Just pure reactions, risk-free cricket, not much predetermination, and he rarely ever extended himself — a re-run of his old specials.
Kohli’s guiding hand too was visible. When Gaikwad had a phase where he was struggling because of his penchant to stay beside the line of the ball to work even middle-off deliveries behind square on the off side, or risky urges to drag balls from outside off to on-side, Kohli often had short chats. Now and then, as is his wont, he would turn and stare at the scoreboard as if he were doing some mental calculations.
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He began to ramp up his strike rate from the 30th over on, taking more calculated risks. He started to charge Bosch and pull Jansen. Off the last ball of the 38th over, he drove Jansen to long-on for the single that fetched him his hundred, but fell in Jansen’s next over, holing out to long-on.
The Kohli effect on the game, just as it did in Ranchi, became visible in India’s run rate. They didn’t accelerate as much as one anticipated as the team was hampered by the long tail, and KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t just throw their bats around. Which was needed if they were to get to a gargantuan total that could help them soak the dew factor likely to eventuate in the chase. Before the game started, the ground staff had applied the dew-stopping chemical all around the park. Its effect in the chase, but Kohli seemingly rued the fact that he fell at the inopportune time.
As he began walking back, he smashed his bat onto his pad, but had composed himself before he reached the boundary. He ripped off his helmet, raised his bat, turned all around to acknowledge the cheers from the adoring Raipur crowd. When the game gives, it pours.
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