World T20: Australia did not lose to India - but to a man called Virat Kohli

Sometimes even the most sublime superlatives fail to do justice to certain sporting performances. On a balmy Chandigarh evening on Sunday, Virat Kohli played that very innings of his career; an effort that involved immense skill and endurance. So often, Kohli devours run chases for dinner, but this 51-ball 82 will go down a “giant among giants” type of knock; one that helped India storm into the semi-finals of the ICC World T20. 

There was little muscle involved, just touch and finesse. Every boundary was struck with exquisite precision; with the dexterity of a charming ballet dancer. The field was dissected the same way a surgeon would skillfully cut open his patient, and the ball often sped away like this match was being played on a snooker table. By the time this massacre reached its conclusion, Australia were left battered and bruised, and sent tumbling out. Kohli had made an absolute mockery of the 161 the Aussies had set India for victory.

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Towards the end, watching Kohli was like watching a highlight reel – almost every ball was sent crashing into the fence. Just that he was doing it for real. This was wizardry of an unseen kind, the kind that will linger in the memory for years to come. This was Kohli at his imperious best – an unassisted annihilation of one of the powerhouses of world cricket.

After Sachin Tendulkar had vanquished Australia at Sharjah in 1998, Mark Taylor had famously exclaimed that his team hadn’t lost to India, but to a man called Sachin. At the presentation ceremony on Sunday night, Steven Smith’s visage wore that same forlorn expression. He managed a wry grin but even he could not deny the damning eventuality of this brutal assault. After a point, with India having wickets in hand, a Kohli special seemed imminent.