Mumbai (Maharashtra) : A King Kohli grandest of grand milestone of 50 centuries, a quickfire ton by Shreyas Iyer in 67 balls, a fiery 47-run start by skipper Rohit Sharma, an 80 by Shubman Gill and a late charge of 39 runs by K L Rahul – India reached a seemingly unsurmountable total of 397 runs for four wickets in the first semifinal of a World Cup that has India written all over it.
It all started with Rohit Sharma showing an infectious fearlessness with his heart-in-the-mouth knock of 47 runs. With this, he surpassed the mighty Chris Gayle’s 49 sixes in World Cups by gathering a half ton of 50s, incidentally, starting off with a strike rate of 200!
Giving India a peri-peri start, the Rohit Sharma show could not have been better placed – the first semifinal of the World Cup, a crunch game that would decide the Motera madness. So audacious and fired up Rohit Sharma was that Kane Williamson had to make two bowling changes within the powerplay but even Mitchell Santner gave away 11 runs in his first over, compelling Kane Williamson to bring back Tim Southee.
His majestic flicks rubbed shoulders with signature pulls as aerial became the mantra of the session. Definitely one for a bravery award. It was finally the experience and slower ball of Tim Southee that had Rohit Sharma hitting high onto the sky over the bowler’s head to be taken magnificently by Kane Williamson who held back on this difficult one as if it was the last morsel on Earth.
The first wicket partnership was of 71 runs in 50 balls. Rohit Sharma walked at 47 after a short but scintillating show that would have developed muscle had it lived a little more than just eight overs. Rohit Sharma’s 47 runs came with four massive sixes and an equal number of boundaries as he made the statement of intent – fearless intent.
All overs up to the eighth one which had Rohit Sharma walking were battered for eight or above runs, except for one by Tim Southee which Rohit Sharma uncharacteristically showed respect and restraint.
Proceedings calmed down with Rohit Sharma’s early departure. Virat Kohli survived a leg before appeal at the outset even as Shubham Gill changed role from anchor to aggressor to keep the scoreboard going.
India's 100 came when Shubman Gill hit Lockie Ferguson's short ball for a mighty six over midwicket in the 12.2 over. In the next over, the young gun raised his bat for a well-earned 50 which he constructed in 41 balls, hitting seven boundaries and a six. It was a patient construction with Gill biding his time, giving Act 1 and Scene 1 to his skipper, and then getting into action after it was curtains for Rohit Sharma.
The Gill-Kohli 50-run partnership in 46 balls was the highlight of the second phase of the Indian campaign wherein the Kohli rotation gig took over from the 13th to 15th over to keep the runs ticking Gill sneaking in a six to keep up the pace in Santner’s over, following it up with a teasing boundary between short third man and point.
Williamson, meanwhile, was on his own brand of rotation, changing bowlers every one or two overs. Rachin Ravindran got one, Mitchell Santner another two and so on. The short spells, however, did not yield expected returns as Gill and Kohli sang "safety first" with their bats. The two batters kept up the run rate to a handsome seven plus into the 18th over.
India reached 150 in 19.4 overs when Gill had just lifted Glenn Phillip for a high-end six over long-off coming to 74 as Virat Kohli rested on the other end with 26.
The Shubman Gill show, which preceded the fast and furious one by Rohit Sharma was one of cautious aggression. It was carefully opportunistic, well-paced and sound, the last not being the least. Gill’s youthful maturity may sound paradoxical, but it is this quality that makes him tower head and shoulders above the rest of his generation in cricket.
Most of his boundaries were thoroughly placed, never going up in the air for a moment. Opposed to that, his sixes did not bother to give hope to fielders at the boundary. His unbreachable display of his special armoury was tantalising. While Rohit Sharma's cameo was a heart in the mouth moment flirting with imminent death, Gill was an unbreachable fortress of intent. The only thing cramping in his exercise book were his legs under the searing sun raising temperatures in the Wankhede ring.
Unfortunately for India and Gill, he cramped up while taking a run and had to retire hurt at 79 runs, limping back to the pavilion after he and Kohli had constructed 93 runs in 86 balls. After eight fours and three sixes, this was life cut short in the middle and Sharma looked worried.
With Shreyas Iyer, Williamson bought back Lockie Ferguson and his short ones as an intimidatory tactic in the hope of getting a circumstantial wicket. At the end of 25 overs, India reached 178-1 and the Kiwis putting their famed cordon to work at slowing down the runs and compel batsmen (batters) to take risks in the name of quick runs.
Skipping the Kiwi net deftly, Kohli reached his 50 in 46 balls with four boundaries, speaking of tenacity and watchfulness, hallmarks of an anchor shield at work. This is his 72th 50 in ODIs, first in a World Cup knockout. His 50 came close on the heels of India reaching 200-1 in 28 overs and the crowd getting restive for big ones.
At this juncture, Tim Southee started his third spell, Rachin Ravindra ended his second and Mitchell Santner was in and out more than twice, not to speak of Lockie Ferguson and Trent Bolt being preserved. Virat Kohli’s answer to this change? He clipped the ball over wide long-on for a six as no one moved. The over went for 11 runs lifting the run rate back to seven plus.
The first maiden of the match came in the 35th over by Santner in his third spell. But Shreyas Iyer was in no mood to let that happy moment stretch for Kane Williamson. With a delectable back swing lofted Trent Boult over long on for a six, following it up with a boundary around point. Boult went for an expensive drubbing giving away 17 runs. A 100-run partnership between the two became the topping of the show.
Shreyas Iyer raised his bat to a 50 with two fours and four sixes in just 35 balls soon after. The 200-run partnership scampered along in 174 balls, with Kohli at 90 and Iyer on 51. And then King Kohli started cramping too and a Glenn Maxwell like duck dance to a century looked to be coming on.
Kohli departed at 117 when he was caught by Devon Conway when he stepped out shovel the ball away to deep square leg. Conway took a low catch to let Kohli go as the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation, as K L Rahul walked in to complete the script.
He hit a six on the first ball he faced, bringing India to 333. The muscle in the middle was displayed by Shreyas Iyer, who delivered an innings that his team had long been waiting for.
After partnering Kohli for 240 runs, he got into his personal account book to give himself a sorted 100 in his first ever World Cup semifinal. Also, for the second time in the tournament, India recorded four 50s from the top order batsmen (batters) – all of them – Gill, Kohli and Iyer himself.
With eight sixes and four boundaries, Iyer took the mantle of playing fearless cricket from none other than the skipper himself who has been setting the pace of the innings at the start with explosive stints of the celestial kind. He reached his 100 under the shadow of Kohli’s record-breaking masterclass, in 67 balls, using up 112 minutes.
Iyer’s coming of age with his bat was long been expected and he delivered with a solidity that will add to his resume for future tournaments. He left the middle caught by Daryl Mitchell and bowled by Trent Boult, giving the bowler his first wicket of the match. At 382 for 4 in the 48th over, the job had been done. Iyer took 70 balls to mount his total in 119 minutes, the eight sixes boasting to unmuted aggression, class and fearlessness.
Surya Kumar Yadav left cheaply to bring Gill back into action after his cramps break. He, too, may have got to his personal milestone had he not retired hurt at 79. But in did manage to reach 80 when KL Rahul rounded off the innings with a boundary at 39 runs in 20 balls with five fours and two sixes.
At 397, the Indian innings looks delightfully robust and good to go for the bowling unit as Kane Williamson and his men take guard under the lights to a task flirting with impossibilities.
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