Kohli scored 76 runs off 59 deliveries with the help of six fours and two sixes. At the back of his gutsy half-century, India managed to register 176/7 on the board, setting a stiff challenge for South Africa.
However, Kohli’s knock was trumped by Heinrich Klaasen’s quickfire half-century, which at one point, had put South Africa in a comfortable position to win their first-ever cricket World Cup before the pacers returned and snatched an astounding victory for the Men in Blue.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Manjrekar while talking to ESPN Cricinfo, stated that Virat Kohli’s knock had put India in trouble but the bowlers saved the day for the team with exceptional death bowling.
“By playing that innings, Hardik Pandya, one of their most devastating batters, had just two balls to face. So I thought India’s batting was good, but Virat Kohli had potentially played an innings that would’ve put India in a tight corner. And it almost proved to be that, before these guys’ bowlers came in the end,” Manjrekar said.
Manjrekar then went on to claim that a bowler should have been adjudged the Player of the Match instead of Kohli as he played with a strike rate of 128.
“India was in a losing position, 90 percent winning chances [for South Africa]. The complete turnaround saved Virat Kohli’s innings because he played virtually half the innings with a strike-rate of 128,” said Manjrekar.
“My Player of the Match would’ve been a bowler because they took the game from the jaws of defeat and won it for India,” he concluded.