finishes with a six and also reaches 3000 T20I runs. A dominant shot to end a dominant performance. Short ball that he moves inside the line to, and pulls over fine leg, almost nonchalantly done.
India vs England, 2nd T20I at Ahmedabad, IND v ENG, Mar 14 2021 - Match Result
Virat Kohli has scored 26 fifty-plus scores in T20Is, the most for IND breaking Rohit Sharma's record
Virat Kohli has scored 26 fifty-plus scores in T20Is, breaking Rohit Sharma's record
10.56 pm: Right, that's been a fun game to bring to you. Lit up especially by the class of 2016 - Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar all part of that year's Under-19 World Cup. Virat Kohli was almost under-statedly outstanding, as was India's collective bowling attack. The series is all square, and that's goodnight from all of us here - Andrew Miller, Venkat Raghav and myself.
Ishan Kishan is the Man of the Match on debut: It's not easy when you come here and play your first game. Mumbai Indians have taught me a lot. I've been there with so many senior players and they have given me very good advice. I love to play the reverse sweep but it didn't go my way (when he got out). I was upset because I wanted to finish the game. I think when Tom Curran bowled his first ball and I smacked him for six, that was the moment I felt I can keep doing this. I don't know if I'll get this feeling again but I was feeling like 'Finally I'm here.' This innings is for my coach's dad, who passed away a few days ago.
Virat Kohli: Quite a good game for us. I think we ticked all the boxes we wanted to. Specially in the first innings with the ball. To give away only 34 in the last five, very smart bowling. Specially Washy, he had only one left-hander to bowl to and he used the big boundary to the right-handers better.
It did get a bit better to bat in the second innings. The ball gripped a bit less. Having said that, they bowled too short, probably not on, on that surface. Special mention to Ishan. I tried to do what I can but he just took the game away from the opposition. Quality innings on debut. When you play in the IPL with such dominance like he has, against quality bowlers. We've seen him hit international fast bowlers fo big sixes. He knew he was hitting the ball well but he was calculated, not reckless. Today that counter-attacking innings of his and our partnership was something the team needed. I had to shift the focus back to the basics. Probably thinking of too many variables on the outside. I've always taken pride in doing the job for the team, so more happy about that than scoring 70 odd. Kept my eye on the ball. The management spoke to me about things. Anushka is here so she also keeps speaking to me about thinks. And I had a special chat with AB de Villiers before this game and he told me just to watch the ball. So I did!
Credit to Hardik that he's bowling at least 3 overs for us in eveyr game. And the next six to eight months period he's promised he's going to commit everything to being the allrounder the team needs in all three formats. He plays for the team in all times and these kind of players are priceless. England showed how good they are in the first match, so you have to be professional and finish the job properly. That's what we did tonight.
Eoin Morgan: I think at the halfway stage we were in and around par. We were in the game but I thought we would have to bowl well to get over the line. I thought India bowled well. This was a different pitch to the one for the first game, less pace in it. And then they came out and put us on the backfoot almost from the start, and we didn't have a counter to that, which was disappointing. We want to learn as much as possible from tonight, I'm glad we played on this kind of wicket tonight, but disappointed with the way we played. Statistically there is always an advantage in chasing if there is dew around especially. Tonight there was no dew, full credit to India. Jos opening the batting for us strikes about 150 and averages about 50, so there's not a lot you can tell a guy like that. Great to see Jason Roy in form, when he plays like that, he's intimidating at the crease. You're always going to miss Mark Wood, he feels better today so hopefully he'll be fit for the next game. If not, the fourth game. We were prepared coming into the series. The next game is on a red-soil pitch, so probably going to turn, but we welcome these challenges.
10.43 pm: Presentation coming up.
Washington Sundar: To be honest, this wicket was a much better wicket than the game we played two days back. We did a very good job to keep them to 164. It wasn't doing much first innings, there was a bit of dew as well. And we really batted well. (On bowling with the new ball) Lots of pressure and a good challenge but that's when you get satisfaction too. We knew where we wanted to be individually and we know we can have one-off game. Such games happen but how we bounce back matters, so very happy to have bounced back. [on his U-19 World Cup teammates] Very happy, Ishan the way he played. First game for India, he was amazing. Pant is also doing so well. Very happy to play alongside these guys.
10.30 pm: India have levelled the series 1-1. This was the kind of fearless and expressive approach in batting that Kohli wanted, the one he spoke of pre-series. Ishan Kishan had a debut to remember, full of fire and sparkling strokes. Rishabh Pant came, saw and conquered all in 13 balls. And Virat Kohli, the master of the chase, was there till the end to finish it off.
Don't forget the role of the bowlers. England looked like they'd get 180-190, but the bowlers dragged them down to 164. Shardul Thakur was excellent in a collectively good bowling effort.
wrist power. Full on the pads and he whips it with wrists of steel. The ball rockets through square leg and into the boundary
full outside off, driven to mid-on
moving across then backing away, but Jordan bowls a bumper on the stumps and Iyer is too close to cut it, ball goes over his bat
he's missed out there. Full toss that he swats fine, there's a fine leg there. Kohli shows mild frustration at missing out on a potential boundary
Anshul: "How many more runs does Kohli need to get to 3000?"
- He started this innings 72 runs away. He's on 62 now, so 10 more. India need 11 to win though.
fuller on the stumps, driven to mid-off's left, who dives and stops
quick bouncer. On target at the stumps and Kohli is late on the pull. And not in great position either, Had to duck a bit to pull because that was headed for his head
launches into a lofted extra cover drive but doesn't time it too well. It's carried over the in-field though and there's no fielder back there so it'll trickle into the boundary
swatted across the line to a back of length ball outside off, but midwicket does well to tumble to his right and stop it
length on a fourth stump line, stays beside it and punches through cover
Piyush Jaiswal: "Virat Kohli may have gotten 50, but he's looked far less assured against the legspin of Rashid! Never seen him venture out of his crease so frequently against spin bowling."
length on the stumps, jammed through midwicket
Jofra now. Last throw of the dice from Morgan?
AnanRed: "That definitely felt out. "
- It did to me initially too, but the stump camera angle suggested a tiny bit behind the line. A very tiny bit, but one nonetheless.
slightly shorter, stays back and punches it to long off
leg break on leg stump, turning across him, he opens his stance and whacks it to deep midwicket
shorter outside off, cut to deep point
fuller, comes forward and drives to cover. Thinking about the single but Roy dives to his right and stops the ball, then quickly releases it.
beauty. And there's a stumping appeal. This is very close and Kohli might be gone with boot on the line, and nothing behind the line. There might just be a smidgen behind the line actually. A millimetre. And Kohli survives. Great ball that dipped on him outside off even as Kohli was drawn into the drive, dipped and gripped and turned away, making Kohli lose balance a bit. Buttler was quick to whip the bails off
starts off flat and full into him, clipped to long-on
Adil Rashid back. Iyer loves to hit spinners.
he was moving around in his crease to throw the bowler off, ends up giving himself room but T Curran keeps it back of a length in the channel and Kohli can't quite reach it. He's upset with himself, probably though he should have smacked that away
fuller on the stumps, clipped off his pads to mid-on's right
down the track again, but keeps it on the ground this time, punching to cover
2W | ||||
1W | 1W | |||
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | |
Toss | India, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2020/21 |
Player Of The Match | |
Series result | 5-match series level 1-1 |
Match number | T20I no. 1132 |
Hours of play (local time) | 19.00 start, First Session 19.00-20.30, Interval 20.30-20.50, Second Session 20.50-22.20 |
Match days | 14 March 2021 - night (20-over match) |
T20I debut | |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Match Referee |