Thirty-four deliveries are no yardstick to judge a batter’s form, especially in the slam-bang world of T20 cricket, but Virat Kohli showed glimpses of his former self in Dubai on Sunday. The 35 runs he got at a strike-rate of 102.94 will go a long way in giving him a fresh lease of life in what is being considered the twilight of his T20 career.

Taking strike on the third ball of the innings, the former India captain is sure to have felt the jitters. He tried to remain relaxed though, offering a wry smile once an excited debutant Naseem Shah gestured thinking the ball had narrowly missed the stumps. Old habits die hard and Kohli showed that the 40-day break had done little to prevent him from hanging his bat out at the next Naseem delivery, which was wide of the stumps.

The resultant edge flew to the right of Fakhar Zaman at second slip but he failed to grab the chance. Surviving narrowly off the second ball can be disastrous psychologically and it showed in Kohli’s batting. The timing wasn’t perfect and twice thick inside edges went past the stumps to fine leg.

In between, a top edge off Haris Rauf flew over the wicketkeeper’s head for a six. The first stroke of conviction came when Kohli pulled Shahnawaz Dahani to the mid-wicket fence. The intent was clear — continue with Team India’s new-found aggressive approach come what may in the Powerplay overs. But the one shot that provided much hope was the supremely controlled and authoritative heave to a short delivery from Rauf, which nearly landed across the long on boundary.

That was the last of his three boundaries in the innings. He survived another six balls before his tame chip landed in long-off’s hands. If Kohli made sure one among the top-three delivered when it mattered, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya pulled it off in the end. There should be no more speculation on the top-order before the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Also, no opening the innings with a Rishabh Pant or Suryakumar Yadav. Rahul Dravid, on joining the team in the UAE, has made it clear that Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will retain their batting spots. If one among the top three delivers, it will be easier for the late order to make the most of the circumstances. Kohli showed that the break has been refreshing for him though he would have loved to bat more convincingly.

Not the ideal way to celebrate his 100th appearance in T20Is, but if you are looking for a silver lining, the innings had much to offer.