Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has shared an interesting take on Virat Kohli missing out on a century during the first ODI between India and New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland. He explained why Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were spared criticism despite Kohli missing the three-figure mark.
Kohli scored 74 runs off 51 deliveries as India chased down the revised target of 143. However, the former cricketer pointed out that Gill and Iyer could have faced criticism if India had completed the chase while Kohli was still in the 90s.
Kohli completed his 80th fifty off just 35 balls as he batted at the top of his game on a tricky pitch, which had assistance for the bowlers.
Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day, “Kohli got out in the 70s. Gill and Iyer were thus spared any blowback if the winning runs had been hit with Kohli unbeaten in the 90s. Yes, it’s a team game, but it’s also good for the team if one of its members, especially a star player, gets to a personal milestone without affecting the team’s chances of winning.”
“It was a tough call for skipper Gill and the man who followed him, Shreyas Iyer, as to how to pace their innings, as Virat Kohli was batting at a stratospheric level at the other end. He had raced past his 50, and with the target being reduced due to the stoppage of play during the innings, his chances of getting to another hundred were getting tighter and tighter.”
The 1983 World Cup winner said he wants Kohli to complete 100 International centuries across all formats.
“There is not a single Indian cricket fan who does not want Kohli to get to 100 international centuries. So, if there’s an occasion where some other teammate sacrifices his runs to allow him the chance to get there, the glory will not be just Kohli’s but for all Indian cricket fans too,” said Gavaskar (via the aforementioned source).
The third ODI between India and New Zealand will be played at Seddon Park, Hamilton on Tuesday.
