On a pitch where half of the players looked dwarfs in the first leg, skipper Virat Kohli showed his masterclass with his time and technique. He 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.
England win the third @Paytm #INDvENG T20I & go 2-1 up in the series. #TeamIndia will look to win the next game & take the series into the decider.
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/mPOjpECiha pic.twitter.com/zkN1xauHQL
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 16, 2021
Though hosts couldn’t manage to defend the total, Kohli won the hearts with his gritty half-century. He hammered unbeaten 77 runs, with the help of 4 towering sixes.
2⃣7⃣th T20I fifty for @imVkohli! 👏👏#TeamIndia captain notches up his 2⃣nd successive half-century. 👌👌 @Paytm #INDvENG
Follow the match 👉 https://t.co/mPOjpEkHpC pic.twitter.com/4jS3eyTox1
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 16, 2021
It was a poor start for India as the hosts lost three wickets in 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.
It was the innings of Kohli, and cameo of Pandya that gave India a chance to register a respectable target against the English side.
He got rapturous applause from all walks of life. Many eminent personalities like Wasim Jaffer, Harsha Bhogle, VVS Laxman, and others lauded the skipper for his defining innings.
“This has been a masterclass from Virat Kohli. If you’re a young batsman anywhere in the world, watch this innings again but with a notebook and a pen,” says Jaffer.
This has been a masterclass from Virat Kohli. If you’re a young batsman anywhere in the world, watch this innings again but with a notebook and a pen. #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/VjKQcdWzmj
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 16, 2021
Bhogle also took to Twitter and called Kohli’s innings jaw-dropping. “Special from Kohli. We’ve seen so much of him and yet, this was jaw-dropping.”
Special from Kohli. We’ve seen so much of him and yet,this was jaw-dropping
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 16, 2021
Never tired of evolution. #Kohli pic.twitter.com/oaGi6qIN2p
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) March 16, 2021
Have to admire Kohli’s tenacity, ambition, and of course also his batsmanship. At 86-5 in the 15th over, India were in the dumps. He’s given his side a fighting chance
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 16, 2021
Master class from @imVkohli 👌👌 #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/zOHNL8ngzj
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) March 16, 2021