Ind vs Eng, 3rd T20I: Skipper Kohli's masterclass takes hosts to 156/6
Mar 16, 2021
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 16 : Down and out going into the last five overs of the innings, skipper Virat Kohli led from the front in all-rounder Hardik Pandya's company as the duo added 69 runs from 30 balls to take the hosts to a fighting 156/6 in the third T20I of the five-match series against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.
Hardik had joined Kohli with the score on 86/5 in 14.3 overs and what followed was nothing short of a masterclass on power-hitting. Interestingly, it was Hardik who played second-fiddle in their 70-run partnership off just 33 balls as Kohli went on a hitting spree. This was India's highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is.
India's score read 87/5 going into the last five with Kohli on 28 off 29 balls and Hardik yet to open his account. And at the end of the innings, Kohli was standing unbeaten on 77 off 46 balls with eight boundaries and four sixes. It was a complete class on batsmanship as Kohli didn't hit a single cross-batted shot and banked on his technique to send the English bowlers on a leather hunt.
Earlier, it was a poor start for India as the hosts lost three wickets inside the powerplay after English skipper Eoin Morgan won the toss and sent the hosts in. Openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma were back in the hut inside the opening five overs.
While Rahul departed for his second duck of the series, Rohit playing his first white-ball match for India since February last year got out after hitting two fours as Mark Wood picked his second wicket of the day.
Ishan Kishan, who had a dream debut on Sunday, fell for just four runs as he skied one behind the wicket and wicket-keeper Jos Buttler made no mistake. Skipper Kohli and Rishabh Pant looked to rebuild the innings and stitched a 40-run stand. Back-to-back fours from Pant brought up the fifty for India as the hosts scored 55/3 after the first 10 overs.
Just when things started to look good for the hosts, Pant got run-out trying to steal a third run. The wicket-keeper batsman fell well short of his ground as Sam Curran broke the stumps after Kohli called for a third. With India struggling at 86/4 in the 14th over, Wood was brought into the attack, and he removed Shreyas Iyer as the hosts lost half the side.
But that was the end of England's joy as Kohli decided to take it on himself to ensure that India finished on a high.
Brief Scores: India 156/6 (Virat Kohli 77; Mark Wood 3-31) vs England
