Virat Kohli crowned greatest-ever ODI cricketer by Clarke after Dubai masterclass: ‘Delivers when it matters the most’
Clarke was all praise for Virat Kohli's ability to control the chase by assessing the conditions and putting his team in a winning position once again.
Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke lavished praise on Virat Kohli for controlling the chase in the highly-anticipated Champions Trophy semi-final. Kohli took the onus on himself when India lost the openers early in the 265-run chase as he stabilised the innings with his 84-run knock. The batting maestro put India back in control with a 91-run stand with Shreyas Iyer. Kohli frustrated the Australian team with his exemplary running between the wickets, as he didn't rely solely on boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving. His presence in the middle allowed India to put pressure on Australia as he didn't allow the required run rate out of reach despite scoring only five boundaries during his knock.
Clarke was all praise for Kohli's ability to control the chase by assessing the conditions and putting his team in a winning position once again.
"Once again, he assessed the conditions brilliantly. A class player, he knew exactly what his team needed and how to put them in a position to win the game. We saw the same in his century against Pakistan," Clarke said on JioHotstar.
Kohli hit only five boundaries in his disciplined knock as he focused more on the risk-free accumulation of runs after India slumped to 43-2 in the eighth over. He put pressure on the Australian team by manoeuvring the singles and doubles at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard ticking during the crucial juncture of the game. He was dropped by Glenn Maxwell off Connolly on 51 but Zampa denied him another ton when he clubbed a googly to Ben Dwarshuis at long-on to leave India at 225-5, however, the game was almost over by then.
“Virat Kohli has every shot in the book…”: Clarke
Clarke didn't shy away from crowning Kohli as the greatest ODI cricketer of all time for his ability to thrive under pressure on the big stage.
"Virat has every shot in the book—there's no questioning his ability to find boundaries. He is, in my opinion, the greatest one-day cricketer of all time, and he continues to prove it on the biggest stage, under the highest pressure. He knows what to do, and he delivers when it matters the most," he concluded.
