CHENNAI: Watching Virat Kohli bat in a T20 game is a bit like finding a classical painting in the abstract section. You don’t know who put it there but God, you can’t help yourself but admire the art. On Tuesday during the third T20I, India’s skipper elevated that artistry by marrying both schools of batting classical with the modern — to compose a chanceless 77 off just 46 balls. When he came in, he had to drop anchor. The hosts were 20/2 after 4.4 overs against England, with Mark Wood bowling high pace, one of the format’s biggest bowling weapons.
That India kept losing wickets regularly didn’t help Kohli. At the end of the 15-over mark, he was 28 off 29, with three fours. With the hosts 87/5 and going nowhere, it was time for the No 4 — the skipper dropped himself in a further indication of India wanting to use these games to work out combinations before the T20 World Cup against the favourites for that tournament — to go YOLO.
And he did. 4, 0, 6, 1, 0, 6, 1, 4, 6, 6, 4, 0, 0, 4, 4, 2, 1 was his last 17 balls. It was almost 3600 batting, consisting of everything from a leading edge over the keeper’s head, a ramp over third man, a regal lofted six over mid-off to a six over square leg. Kohli’s double act also highlighted why the hosts should ideally go away from the habit of having too many anchors: they do not need too many of those when their captain can essay that role to perfection. In a microcosm, these two numbers capture what happened under the Ahmedabad lights: Kohli: 77 off 46. Not Kohli: 79 (including nine extras) off 77.
And they needed him to essay that role in this manner because Wood clearly had the wood over the others in an opening burst that saw him pick two wickets and bowl eight dot balls in a spell where the speed gun went north of 150 km/hr multiple times. That extra pace troubled them in the first match in the power play. It was a similar story here.
They were 24/3 on Friday night. They were 22/3 on Tuesday, with both Archer and Wood making the batsman hop, skip and jump. All three of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul (who has an aggregate of one run from his last four T20I innings) and Ishan Kishan were all done in by the extra pace. If they keep struggling against high pace in the next two games of the series, expect sides to target that area at the World Cup.
In the end, the 157 England needed wasn’t stiff enough to challenge the visitors. They are further along in the development curve and it showed in in both departments of the game. They went hard against Yuzvendra Chahal. Neutralise him and they can expose India’s lack of a sixth bowler. That’s what happened thanks to Jos Buttler, who made an unbeaten 83, his new career high score. His five fours and four sixes mean India will now ask a few questions of themselves ahead of the fourth game on Thursday.
Brief scores: India 156/6 in 20 ovs (Kohli 77; Wood 3/31) lost to England 158/2 in 18.2 ovs (Buttler 83 n.o, Bairstow 40 n.o).