India superstar batter Virat Kohli scored his first half-century in a successful chase for India in ODI World Cups. Kohli scored 85 runs as India beat Australia by six wickets in their opening match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.
ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023: Full Coverage
While Kohli has hit seven half-centuries and two hundreds in ODI World Cups, this was the first time he crossed the 50-run mark in a successful chase in the ODI World Cup. Kohli scored 85 runs off 116 balls, hitting six boundaries.
Kohli and Rahul stitched a massive 165-run stand for the fourth wicket to guide India to victory. The two batters had to toil hard to get India out of a dangerous position, having been left reeling at 2 for 3 following three ducks from Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer.
Australia pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were on top of the mark, silencing the Chennai crowd as they gave the 5-time champions hope in their defence of 200 runs.
Kohli got to his fifty in 75 balls as the former captain took his time to steer India out of trouble. It was also the second time Virat Kohli scored a fifty in a chase in a World Cup match, with his 66 against England in Birmingham coming in a losing cause in 2019.
This wasn’t the first time Kohli stepped up in a tricky chase in an ICC tournament. He played crucial knocks in the 2016 T20 World Cup against Pakistan and Australia. More recently, in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Kohli’s majestic 82 not out helped India outclass Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Having defeated five-time champions Australia in Chennai, India will turn their attention towards Afghanistan with the two sides set to lock horns at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on October 11.
