Chopra: Kohli and Amir performances transcend Indo-Pak rivalry

Aakash Chopra 16:32 28/02/2016
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  • Kohli (l) and Amir stole the show.

    First the Mohammad Amir Show, then the Virat Kohli Show, and somewhere in between we also had one of the most anticipated cricket matches between old foes India and Pakistan. These two young men showed that sometimes individual performances are so breathtaking that they can transcend the game, irrespective of how important the game was perceived to be. Since it’s a batsman’s game and the fact that India went on to win, it only seems fair to start this week’s column by giving due credit to the man who made 83 look like a very defendable score and brought everyone who watched the game to the edge of their seats.

    Even before the Asia Cup started, there was a lot of anticipation around Amir’s return to the fold. He departed international cricket as a very young and promising player led to the dark side by elder statesmen in the Pakistan side. While those impressions were still fresh in our memories, we weren’t oblivious to the fact that his staying away from top flight cricket for five years well and truly tarnished his burgeoning reputation and there were concerns his talent would diminish. Five years is a long time in cricket and if you haven’t even played domestically in that period, your comeback becomes that much tougher. How do you keep yourself motivated? You might spend countless hours in the gym but if you haven’t bowled to quality batsmen in pressurised match situations, how do you upgrade or even maintain your skill-level?

    Before the Asia Cup, Amir did tour New Zealand and play in the Pakistan Super League but without it being televised in India, the country had largely not seen his performances and there was scepticism around his return. But he dispelled that notion in his very first over against India. First was the impeccable yorker that hit Rohit Sharma on the toe and the second that shaped in after pitching to find Ajinkya Rahane plumb in front. From the first ball of his spell to the very last, we watched in awe. His 24 balls lasted no longer than 35 minutes but it left us with memories to cherish. I was too young to admire the quality of Wasim Akram’s bowling when he was at the peak of his powers but I’m pretty sure that it wouldn’t have been too different from what we witnessed from Amir in Mirpur. The exhibition of swing at such consistent pace was sensational.

    T20I records of Kohli & Amir

    • Kohli: Matches - 35, Runs - 1271, Average - 48.88
    • Kohli: Highest Score - 90*, Fifties - 12
    • Amir: Matches - 22, Wickets - 27, Average - 21.29
    • Amir: Best Bowling - 3-18, Strike-Rate - 17.7

    It needed something equally brilliant to counter that quality and that came from Kohli. It’s not that Amir didn’t trouble him but the fact that he couldn’t dismiss him showed that it was a contest amongst equals. Amir asked tough questions but Kohli had the answers, altering his game to suit the demands of the situation and weathered the storm.  He played close to the body, didn’t try anything fancy and, more importantly, understood that counter-punching Amir wasn’t an option on this occasion. Aggression isn’t always about hitting fours and sixes; it’s also about being decisive in your movement and defending with conviction. Once Amir’s spell was done, Kohli swiftly changed gears and showed that there aren’t many better chasers than him.

    The toughest thing to do in a pressure situation is to resort to what comes naturally and Kohli did just that. He played percentage cricket but the quality of skill-set is such that even while doing that, he could score at run-a-ball against a good bowling unit. There was a time when Indian batting revolved around Tendulkar and people used to say in every tough situation that ‘Sachin Hai Na’ (Sachin is still there…there’s hope). Virat Kohli has assumed a similar stature—so, Stay Calm and Trust in Kohli.

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