Cricket World Cup 2019: Kohli hails 'legend' Dhoni after veteran bounces back with crucial fifty

Sudhir Gupta 21:21 27/06/2019
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  • India skipper Virat Kohli credited the bowling unit once again after his side demolished West Indies by 125 runs in a 2019 ICC World Cup clash at Manchester.

    India’s bowlers had defended a total of 223 runs in their last match against Afghanistan and they were at their very best on Thursday at Old Trafford after their batsman has posted a just about par total of 267-8.

    “I can’t complain. We’ve just become number one yesterday, and to be honest we’ve been playing like that for a while now,” Kohli told broadcaster Star Sports after India’s massive win.

    “Things haven’t gone our way with the bat for two games now, but we’ve still won and that’s impressive for me,” he added.

    Kohli himself registered his fourth consecutive fifty of the tournament but the star man credited the late cameos from MS Dhoni (56) and Hardik Pandya (46) for helping India post a competitive total.

    “I think Hardik played really well, and MS finished really well, and 270 was always difficult to get on this pitch,” he said.

    Dhoni, in particular, had faced plenty of criticism for his scratchy knock in the Afghanistan game but the veteran showed his value on Thursday with a crucial half-century down the order.

    Kohli shot back at the wicketkeeper’s detractors and stressed on the importance of the experience and acumen the veteran brings to the ODI side.

    “He looks what he wants to do, and anybody can have off-days. When he has off-days, everybody starts talking. We back him, and the best thing is when you need extra 15-20 runs in the end, he does that well,” he said.

    “He knows how to bat with the tail. His experience, eight out of 10 times, works for us. We have quite a few players who play instinctive cricket. He’s one guy who sends out a message that what the par score is on a pitch.

    “If he says 265 is a good score on a pitch, we don’t aim for 300 and end up scoring 230. He’s a legend for us, and hopefully he’ll continue.”

    The win over Windies was India’s fifth in the tournament in six games and it makes them the only side to still remain unbeaten. They have one foot now in the semi-final and will next face hosts England in a pivotal clash at Birmingham on Sunday.

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