Virat Kohli has played innumerable amount of unforgettable knocks throughout his career but his highest ODI score of 183 runs against the arch rivals in Pakistan in the year 2012 was something very special and no cricket fan would ever forget.
In a instagram chat session with Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian captain shared an interesting story that happened during the India vs Pakistan game in 2012 which also happened to be the master blaster’s last one day international game.
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When Ashwin asked about the collision with Rohit Sharma that took place at the boundary line to Virat Kohli, he said
It was very funny and I remember MS wasn’t too happy about it. Pakistan I think had posted 329 and they had some very big partnerships in the beginning. At that time we (he and Rohit) sort of messed up, it was supposed to be a single but we gave away three runs, I remember Irfan (Pathan) running after the ball and throwing it back to MS and MS was like how can these two guys just collide and give away three runs. The bowler was you (Ashwin). I remember Umar Akmal played it like that, I was at deep mid-wicket and Rohit was at deep square-leg. I came in, Rohit was also going for the ball and the side of my head hit Rohit’s shoulder. I don’t think it was that serious, it was just the heat of the moment when we went for the ball and like for five minutes couldn’t figure out what had happened,
Pakistan cricket have produced many great spinners in their cricket history and the wily off spinner in Saeed Ajmal is definitely one of them. Ajmal was the #1 spinner in the world when Virat Kohli scored 183 against Pakistan and his doosra was considered an unplayable delivery back then.
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But Virat Kohli was unbothered by Ajmal’s doosra that day and when Ashwin asked about how he managed to play Ajmal with ease, the #1 batsman revealed an interesting story.
I told myself that I am going to start playing him (Ajmal) like a legspinner because his doosra was quite difficult to face and his offspinner was not that lethal. So I said I am going to try and hit him over cover consistently, and it just paid off. As soon as I negated his doosra, the potency of his threat became lesser and lesser,
In that game, I scored most of my runs against him through the offside. My only aim was that I am going to make him unsettled with his doosra. He should fear bowling the doosra to me, then I am on top of my game