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SPORTS DECEMBER 04, 2020 | The Indian Eye 48

lead it like Virat Kohli: how a captain can

turn a ship around after consecutive losses

Kohli becomes the first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a decade

Our Bureau will burn out but was surprised
after seeing his determination
Canberra on the field.
fter registering a 13- “Oh yeah, phenomenal! I
run win over Australia think, the way he has played in
Ain the third and final each and every series, the kind
ODI, India skipper Virat Kohli of intensity he has maintained
on Wednesday hailed the nev- each and every day, when he’s
er-say-die attitude shown by his on the cricket field is unbe-
team when put under pressure lievable,” Laxman said on Star
situations. Sports show Cricket Connected.
While India opened their ac- “Because at some stage I
count in the ODI Super League thought that will be the biggest
with the win, Australia took the challenge for Virat Kohli at
series 2-1. Luck was on India’s some stages he will burn out, but
side to begin with as Kohli won not even once we have seen that
the toss for the first time in the India's Shubhman Gill plays a shot during the third and final ODI of the energy drop-down when Virat is
series and decided to bat. While series at manuka oval in canberra on wednesday. ( icc twitter/ ANi) on the cricket field, whether he
the top-order failed to fire in is batting or he is fielding,” he
unison, the middle-order rose added.
to the challenge and both Har- Laxman also praised Kohli
dik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja for his art of chasing the targets
played match-winning knocks of and said the Indian skipper rel-
92 and 66 respectively to guide ishes the pressure and responsi-
India to 302/5. Virat Kohli him- bilities.
self got among the runs as he “And under pressure, be-
played a knock of 63 runs. cause if you see his one-day re-
“Playing international crick- cord, how many hundreds did
et for 13-14 years, you should be he get while chasing and then
able to come back like we did. you know that you’ve got a tar-
I would have liked to go on for get to achieve, there’s always a
a bit longer, but we had a great scoreboard pressure on him,
partnership between Hardik and but he relishes pressure, he rel-
Jadeja. It was exactly what the ishes responsibility and that’s
team needed to get that boost, Australia's Ashton Agar appeals for a wicket during the third and final ODI of what gets the best out of him,”
even though we’ve lost the se- the series at manuka oval in canberra on wednesday. (icc twitter/ ANi) Laxman said.
ries. We played with heart and Gambhir echoed the senti-
desire, and that’s what you need he ended up with the figures of praise on Indian skipper Virat ments and couldn’t hold himself
to do in Australia,” he added. 1-62 in his quota of ten overs. Kohli for becoming the first from praising the Indian skipper.
For the first time in the last Luck was on India’s side to batsman to score 20,000 inter- “You can take anything, you
six ODIs, the Men in Blue also begin with as Kohli won the toss national runs in a decade. can actually do whatever you
managed to take a wicket in the for the first time in the series Kohli, who became the fast- want, but the best feeling in the
powerplay overs. and decided to bat. While the est batsman to score 12,000 world is, when you score that
While India opened their ac- top-order failed to fire in uni- ODI runs on Wednesday, has last run and come back to your
count in the ODI Super League son, the middle-order rose to smashed 22,074 runs in interna- hotel room and you’re so satis-
with this win, Australia took the challenge and both Pandya tional cricket since making his fied that you’ve done something
the series 2-1. Ravinder Jadeja and Jadeja played match-win- debut in 2008. The right-hand- for your country, what you were
played an unbeaten knock of 66 ning knocks of 92 and 66 respec- ed cricketer is also the fastest meant to do,” Gambhir said.
runs and he stitched a partner- tively to guide India to 302/5. batsman to score 8,000, 9,000, “So probably, all those com-
ship of 150 runs with Pandya to Kohli played a knock of 63 runs. 10,000 and 11,000 ODI runs. binations have made him what
take India’s score to 302/5. Jade- Meanwhile, former India Laxman admitted he himself he is, and hats off to him, he’s
ja also managed to take the cru- cricketers VVS Laxman and had doubted Kohli and felt that scored more than 20,000 runs,
cial wicket of Aaron Finch, and Gautam Gambhir lavished at one stage the Indian skipper centuries all that,” he added.

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