Stooping to see where the ball pitched, Virat Kohli looked crestfallen as Dilshan Madushanka leapt in jubilation.
The Sri Lankans were celebrating around him and Kohli couldn’t believe he had been done in by a slower delivery that stopped after pitching. KL Rahul offered a pat on the back as Kohli dragged himself towards the dressing room.
The next man, Suryakumar Yadav, had already galloped towards the wicket to take strike, but Kohli was still making his way out of the ground. The climb through the stairs was slower, very un-Kohli for one of the fittest cricketers in the world. Rahul Dravid offered a dab on his shoulders but Kohli was still brooding.
The ball had been delivered at 113.5kmph and realising that he played at it early, Kohli tried to check his shot. The damage had been done though. The extra cover fielder slid a few metres before reaching to pouch the ball.
Twelve runs short of his epochal 49th ODI hundred, he had let go of a golden opportunity to equal Sachin Tendulkar in front of him at the Wankhede. The Master Blaster was at the stadium on Wednesday to unveil his statue and didn’t forget to mention that India’s brand of cricket had left him excited. Kohli provided him with much entertainment for most of Thursday afternoon.
It has been a tale of missed opportunities for Kohli since his unbeaten century in Pune. Dismissed for 95 in the next match in Dharamsala, he fell for a duck in Lucknow. Eden Gardens will be up next, on Sunday against South Africa, and the occasion might just spur Kohli on to the feat.
Kohli had battled through an unforgiving sun and unendurable humidity on Thursday to shape his 94-ball innings. He needed a constant supply of fluids at the end of almost every over to beat any signs of cramps in his body.
The start hadn’t been promising though. Madushanka and Dushmantha Chameera had worked up good pace with lateral movement to trouble Kohli after Rohit Sharma was removed off the second ball of the innings.
Kohli lived a charmed life, almost flicking his first delivery straight to the leg gully fielder. Then on 10, he survived when Chameera failed to hold on to a chance off his own bowling.
The Lankans had lost steam by then but Kohli wasn’t letting the opportunity go. It was mainly because of him that India raced to 60 in the first Powerplay. Imperious drives and disdainful pulls followed as the bowling failed to make any impact.
Kohli and Shubman Gill (92) stitched together 189 off 179 balls for the second wicket to put it beyond the Lankans. Shreyas Iyer provided the late surge but it was so near and yet so far for Kohli.
