In awe of Kohli: Australian greats from three generations talk about the MCG masterclass

Three generations of Australian cricketing greatness had a common, non-Australian buzzword: Virat Kohli. Be it 94-year-old Neil Harvey, the last surviving member of Don Bradman’s invincibles or Doug Walters, the first Test batsman to score a century in a season or Australia’s 2015 World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke, they are each Virat Kohli and Pakistan’s Sold on his incredible innings against

Harvey, who can barely walk an hour and a half from Sydney city centre, leads a recluse life, was excited about how Kohli almost single-handedly batted India to victory. He considered the former India captain to be a great player of the game.

He said, ‘Kohli played a very good innings and that shot in the 19th over was very special. “There are good players and there are great players. Kohli is a great player and he has made this win really special for all of you.”

Walters, one of the best of his generation and someone who would have been a perfect fit for white-ball cricket, was equally impressed. “The best thing about Kohli is that he plays the traditional stroke. He was in control of the situation and had the confidence to support himself to win the game for his team. It tells a lot about a player’s ability. Against Pakistan, his proficiency in getting wet under pressure was a lesson for every aspiring cricketer,” Walters said.

Walters also could not stop talking about two shots against Harris Rauf in the 19th over. “The highlight of the first shot was that he was able to cross the MCG, which is one of the longest boundaries in the world. It tells how accurate the shot was. Timing, balance, execution, everything was perfect and that is why the ball traveled the distance and landed in the stands,” he said. The stroke is being compared to Sachin Tendulkar’s third man six on Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup.

With Kohli batting at his best, Walters is backing India to do well in Australia and feels this England could be India’s final. Clarke, who was the captain when Kohli scored his maiden Test century in Australia in 2012, always believed that Kohli would do well. Even before the tournament began, Clarke had said that this World Cup could see Kohli dominating the proceedings.

“The format and the conditions are such that the opener and No. 3 will be the deciding factor for a team. And in Kohli you have the best man for the job. At number three, if he plays 70 balls in the innings, he will score 110 runs for the team and so you shouldn’t be too worried about his approach.

“Actually, I’m a little surprised by all this talk about attitude. There is no single approach in cricket. If you have players like Kohli and Rohit (Sharma), you just have to make them bat for as long as possible. Have to back down. If they do that, more often than not, they will win you the game,” he argued. As for Clarke, Kohli is getting close to his best and there is a certain calmness about him that is refreshing.

Even the Australian press could not stop talking about Kohli. In Sydney newspapers, which paid little attention to the India-Pakistan game the morning after, all have started to focus on Kohli and the greatness of knocking under pressure. With that one innings, Kohli has set the tone for India in the World Cup.

Originally published at Pen 18