Ashton agar big statement: Bowlers often struggle to tie Virat Kohli in ODI cricket and according to Australian spinner Ashton Egger, one of the main reasons for this is his unmatched ability to rotate strikes. After India’s semi -final victory in the Champions Trophy, Egger described Kohli’s 84 -run innings as ‘Masterclass’ in sports management, highlighting how his ability to find the gap and keep the scoreboard operational almost impossible. Egar said in ESPNcricinfo’s match day show, ‘This is the most disappointing thing in bowling against him. This is not just a matter of the damage done by them with the boundary. This is the fact that you cannot create pressure on them. Until the ball is really spinning, you never feel that you dominate them and you do not get many such pitches in ODI cricket.
Kohli scored 84 runs from 98 balls, which proved to be important for India. He won 264 runs of Australia with four wickets. More than the strokeplay, his ability to pursue the scoreboard disappointed the Australian bowlers. Kohli’s innings was a masterclass in running between wickets. Out of his 84 runs, 64 runs came from single and two, which is a proof of his ability to carry forward the innings without taking unnecessary risks. Agar said that Kohli’s technique against spin, especially his ability to keep the ball in the right place, makes him one of the most difficult batsmen bowling.
Agar said, ‘He has a great ability to hit your best ball. Above the middle stump, spinning slightly – holding the bat a little longer than others. He plays the ball in the last second and hit the cover-point gap. He is probably the best in the world in doing so and it is very difficult to pressurize him. Kohli performed brilliantly against Australia’s leg -spinners Tanveer Sangha and Adam Jampa and scored 35 runs off 33 balls. Although he eventually was out in front of Jampa, by then his work had been completed, which led to India to a strong position.
For some time, Kohli struggled to rotate a strike against the spin, but former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar found that his footwork and shot selection had again come to his best level. Manjrekar said, ‘There was a time when they could not rotate the strike against the spin, as they do against the fast bowlers. But today’s innings showed that they have left this problem behind. His ability to play on the backfoot and find gaps was the best in this game.
Former India captain Anil Kumble also praised Kohli’s control in Run Chase, he emphasized how he makes difficult goals easier. Kumble said. ‘They rarely make a mistake. Especially in the run chase, he is completely under control. He withstands the pressure brilliantly and never looks upset.
With this innings, Kohli continued his dominance in ICC knockout matches. This was his third 50 score in the semi -finals of the Champions Trophy and he had a total fifth score in ICC knockout matches. Now he is just one half -century away from equalizing the record of Sachin Tendulkar of more than 50 score in ICC knockout.
Also read- Akshar Patel, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli got reward for excellent performance in Champions Trophy 2025
(Tagstotranslate) Australia (T) Ashton Charles Agar (T) Cricket
