Exceeding The Hype, Kohli Powers India Past Rival Pakistan In Cricket’s Most Lucrative Contest

For those privileged to have attended, they’ll never forget the sheer cacophony of noise.

They might have no option because their ears could be permanently ringing after Virat Kohli wound back the clock with a vintage performance to power India to a miraculous last ball T20 World Cup opening victory over Pakistan at a heaving 90,000 crowd Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Somehow this blockbuster between epic rivals, who unfortunately don’t play often against each other due to political differences, exceeded the hype. Given the occasion, and the scarcity of India and Pakistan playing each other, it’s surely the greatest T20I game ever played.

It’s on the shortlist of best cricket matches, no matter the format. It will certainly never be forgotten, given the sheer spectacle, superstar Kohli issuing a statement, an absolutely bonkers final over, like it was concocted out of a Tarantino script, and peak Pakistan being Pakistan.

It was perhaps destined for something special given the initial fixtures for this postponed event in 2020 did not feature the highly lucrative India and Pakistan clash.

But the two-year postponement altered the rankings and – although cynics raise an eye-brow at the teams usually drawing each other at every major tournament – ensured there would be a bonanza of a contest that stops the entire cricket world.

Amid such a frenzied atmosphere, marked by a whir of color befitting the participating teams who boast arguably the most devoted fan bases in sports, it was fortunate too that Australia’s once strict Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have totally eased. Played in front of a capped crowd would have made this epic somewhat hollow.

Fortunately, the hallowed MCG was rocking and Kohli burnished his legend by hauling India back from a dire 4 for 31 chasing 160 on a seaming and bouncy MCG wicket that was more reminiscent of longer form domestic cricket played in front of almost no one during the work week.

His astounding 53-ball 82 was almost a mirror image of his self-declared best T20I innings against Australia at the 2016 T20 World Cup. He later admitted this had moved to the top of his personal list, given the occasion.

This was a predicament made for Kohli, who has inspired these Houdini type acts numerously in the past but there were question marks over whether the Indian batting legend still had it in him. It had been a tough last few years for the 33-year-old, who had been mired in a frustrating century drought, relinquished the captaincy across formats and looked mostly burnt out being arguably the country’s most famous figure.

There were even whispers whether Kohli was still in India’s best starting line-up, but champions, of course, are made for these backs against the wall moments. Against a fired-up Pakistan attack, with MCG specialist Haris Rauf bowling gas with 150kmh/93mph thunderbolts, India’s star-studded batters were spooked.

Except for Kohli, who calmly handled the barrage and revived India’s innings alongside Hardik Pandya. Still, Kohli started with just 15 off 29 as India’s required rate spiralled out of control but as long as the talisman was at the crease they had a pulse.

The fluency and his sheer intimidating presence, where he resembles a boxer ready to land a blow, returned and Kohli started to flow but India still needed a difficult 28 runs from eight deliveries with Rauf nearing the end of a brilliant 19th over.

Kohli had to go big, and under huge pressure as a nation willed him on many miles away, he did exactly that with consecutive audacious sixes that will still seem implausible in the days and years ahead. “It’s just instinctively I saw the ball and I told myself just stay still,” he told Star Sports after the game.

“The one at long-on was unexpected. It was a back-of-a-length slower ball. And the next one, I just swung my bat through the line of the ball and it flew over fine leg. Now standing here, I just feel like it was meant to be.

“It’s a very, very special moment.”

India still needed 16 runs off the final over bowled by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who had been the weak link of the attack, and bedlam ensued with two wickets, contentious umpiring decisions, a six from Kohli and the calmness of Ravichandran Ashwin, who hit the winning runs to trigger an almighty roar from the terraces. There were reports the deafening outcry could be heard several miles away from the ground.

Long-time MCG observers say it’s the loudest the coliseum-like ground has ever been even surpassing grand finals of the Australian Football League – the fanatically followed sports code Down Under.

The surreal match, amid so much pomp, has lit up the T20 World Cup played at a time in Australia where cricket usually staggers into mainstream consciousness. The opening week of the tournament, essentially a qualifier, was riveting but mostly enjoyed by the sport’s hardcore base of fans.

The sheer scale of this contest reeled in the masses and it feels like the tournament, which was blighted by a staggeringly low crowd of 8500 in Perth between England and Afghanistan just 24 hours earlier, has shifted into gear.

In the subcontinent, meanwhile, a gigantic television viewership in the hundreds of millions will be giddy for days.

The only problem is that it will be almost impossible to replicate this type of theatre, drama and narrative even for games involving hosts Australia, who on current form appear unlikely to progress to the semi-finals.

Unless India and Pakistan renew their rivalry in the final, which will be played at the MCG, and almost everyone watching – even neutrals – surely wouldn’t begrudge that.

If by good grace that eventuates, packing some earplugs might be a good tip for those possessing what will be the hottest ticket ever in cricket history.