Champions Trophy: Kohli is the greatest ODI cricketer of all time, says Michael Clarke
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) With ‘chase master’ Virat Kohli once again setting up a famous victory for India with a valiant 84, handing his team a comfortable four-wicket win in uncomfortable conditions in Dubai, Australia great Michael Clarke hailed the brilliance on display and labelled him as the greatest ODI cricketer of all-time.
Kohli arrived at the crease with the highest potential chase against Australia in ICC knockouts ahead of him and closed the gap to victory with brilliant stroke play and intelligent strike rotation, with only five boundaries to his name at the end, showcasing his ability to find runs on a difficult surface.
“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. 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 most,” said Clarke to Jio Hotstar
However, Kohli’s knock could have proved to be insufficient had he not been supported by Shreyas Iyer. The right-handed batter’s time at the crease came after the dismissal of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma inside the power play.
The need for a partnership was urgent as any more wickets could have triggered a collapse on the spin-friendly pitches of Dubai and it was Iyer who put on a 91-run stand with Kohli for the third wicket once again proving to be a reliable top-order option in the ODI set up.
Clarke appreciated Iyer’s innings and claimed the duo ‘complimented each other perfectly.’
“He played really well. He has that aggressive approach and great intent and always looks to play his shots, which takes pressure off his batting partner. He and Virat Kohli complement each other perfectly. Virat’s experience allows him to guide Shreyas when needed and keep him composed. Their partnership was match-winning, no doubt.
“Australia managed to take a couple of wickets, and had they broken that stand earlier, especially getting Virat out, the game could have been completely different. But credit to India—they played exceptionally well,” he added.
–IANS
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