King Kohli aces yet another chase

New Zealand withstands another batting collapse to set a target of 286

October 23, 2016 11:41 pm | Updated December 02, 2016 11:11 am IST - MOHALI:

Virat Kohli's unbeaten 154 India helped India take a lead of 2-1. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

Virat Kohli's unbeaten 154 India helped India take a lead of 2-1. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

For the Sunday crowd thronging the PCA Stadium, there couldn’t have been better value for money.

Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 154 and M.S. Dhoni’s 80 brought India the victory that put the hosts 2-1 ahead of New Zealand in the five-match ODI series.

Kohli and Dhoni raised 151 runs for the third wicket in an association of assurance, class and purpose to end the 285-run chase with seven wickets and 10 deliveries to spare.

From an Indian perspective, this was truly the need of the hour after New Zealand enjoyed its best phase — when James Neesham and Matt Henry produced a record 84 runs for the ninth wicket and openers Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were dismissed with just 41 on the board.

Dropped on six by Ross Taylor off Henry, Kohli was on 21 when Dhoni walked in, ahead of Manish Pandey, at No. 4. .

Dhoni crossed 9,000 ODI runs in the course of his 91-ball knock, and his three straight sixes saw him surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 195 sixes to top the list.

Though the skipper missed a well-deserved century, Kohli went on to cross the mark for the 26th time in 166 matches and overtook Kumara Sangakkara to be in fourth spot on the all-time list.

Kohli never again lost his focus in his knock dotted with a six and 16 boundaries. Pandey played his part well as the fourth-wicket stand of 97 runs off 75 deliveries took India past the finish-line.

Not so long ago, New Zealand was upbeat following Neesham and Henry’s retrieving act.

After all, New Zealand had withstood the ‘now-customary’ batting collapse, and managed a fighting total. After tumbling from 153 for two to 199 for eight, the visiting team ended at 285 in the final over.

For the third match in succession, New Zealand lost wickets in a heap. In Dharamshala, it lost the first seven wickets for 65 runs. In Delhi, the last six wickets fell for 79 runs and here, in the middle of its innings, six wickets fell in the space of 46 runs!

Part-timer Kedar Jadhav’s career-best three for 29 and spearhead Umesh Yadav’s three for 75 were was almost undone by Neesham’s first ODI half century and Henry unbeaten 37. Indeed, these runs at the back-end of the innings swung the psychological advantage towards New Zealand. But once Kohli and Dhoni took control, the result was in little doubt.

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