‘India have got the best chaser in the hory of the game in Virat Kohli,’ says Nasser Hussain

With Virat Kohli hitting his 74th half-century in India’s win over Australia in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in Dubai, the 36-year-old made sure that India scored its fourth win over Australia in knockouts in ICC ODI tournaments. Kohli also crossed the 8,000-run mark in ODI run chases and took 159 innings to achieve the feat, which has only been matched Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar. Former England captain Nasser Hussain has termed Kohli as the best run-chaser in the hory of the game.
“It was a pretty clinical run chase. They have got the best chaser in the hory of the game. Virat Kohli. And around Kohli, they have so much talent all the way through. Spin bowling all rounders. Guys that go hard at the ball in the power play. A wicket keeping batter in KL Rahul. That’s magnificent and an all-rounder in Hardik Pandya makes things easy,” Hussain told Sky Sports Cricket post the game.
While India won the match four wickets, Kohli missed in what could be his 29th ODI hundred while batting second. He tried to hit an Adam Zampa googly for a six before he was caught at mid-on Ben Dwarshuis. The Indian batsman now holds the record for the most number of 50-plus scores (24) in ICC tournaments after surpassing Tendulkar’s mark of 23 such innings.
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Kohli took 53 innings to achieve the feat while Tendulkar’s 23 fifty-plus scores had come in 58 innings. Former England captain Michael Atherton too showered praise on Kohli. “You just expect him to get a 100 in a run chase like this. Once he’s got himself in you beautifully. He gave that one chance that he got away with but his manipulation of the ball today was outstanding. In fact, funnily enough, that early shot he played one of them against New Zealand as well he is quite prepared to take it on. Early but then when he gets in. He is really an expert of just knocking the ball around and finding the gaps with the precision expected. He was going to get the hundred because that’s what he does all the time in a run chase.  It would have been his 29th  ODI hundred. And then he just holed out. But that’s fine,” Atherton told Sky Sports Cricket.
KL Rahul played a knock of 42 runs and took India home with 1.5 overs to spare. Atherton sees Rahul’s experience as a strength for the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team. “He is a pretty experienced player now. Isn’t he? Obviously. He is keeping an outstanding player Rishabh Pant out of the team. Maybe that’s part of the reason for it that he is vastly experienced and he’s got a lot of skill in different ways and as Nasser rightly said he started just in Kohli’s slipstream and then just after drinks, decided that it’s my turn now, my time to take the game on. He has the ability to play in different ways. Most of these are good players and have the ability and range to do what they can. He just started off just in Kohli’s slipstream and then just after drinks decided well it’s my turn now my time to take the game on and he has the ability to play in different ways. Most of these good players have the ability and have the range to do so,” said Atherton.