Oct. 21: The first day-night clash at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Wednesday provided fireworks that brought the taste of Diwali early to the coastal city.
The India-Australia tussle on Wednesday witnessed the renaissance of Virat Kohli, who cleared many hurdles to notch up his third ODI hundred. He first made it to the ODI squad with several big names being rested and then made the most of the opportunity by going on to crack a memorable ton in harshly humid conditions, a cramped hamstring, not to mention the pressure of keeping his place in the side.
Interestingly, Yuvraj Singh and Michael Clarke too had their backs to the walls and needed the night to salvage their sagging fortunes. While it was redemption time for some, for Kohli it was a chance to display nerves of steel, as strong as the ones produced by the Vizag Steel Plant. However, despite an innings full of character, the 21-year-old admitted that he had shaky start. “I was struggling early on and was under pressure. But I tried to hang in there. It was a very satisfying innings,” Kohli said after the match.
The right-hander also laid emphasis on an attitudinal shift in his approach towards the game. For starters, Kohli is not ready to take his place in the team for granted. “I have made a few mistakes in the past and have learnt from them. This innings will give enormous confidence. But, I will not say that my place is cemented. I have to keep performing well,” Kohli said.
As for the Australians, they were left licking their wounds after finishing second, yet again. Their dejected skipper Michael Clarke did put up a brave front after the clash. “I think we do take a lot out of this match,” he said. “We’re disappointed not to have got the result we wanted. We obviously wanted to win the game,” Clarke added.
Clarke though felt that Michael Hussey and Cameron White had kept the visitors in the game. “Both Hussey and White played really well. I thought John Hastings in his first game on debut bowled really well, Clint McKay was fantastic and I see a lot of potential in Mitchell Starc too,” he said.
But Clarke did admit that it was getting increasingly difficult to digest the string of losses for the side. “It is difficult to pick yourselves up after losing a game. We have to admit that India have outplayed us right through. All we can do is practice hard at the nets and give our best shot,” Clarke said.
Clarke also said that the dew factor had a role in piling on the agony. “The dew did play its part. It was easier to bat second,” he said.