Virat Kohli dramatically fell five runs short of his 49th ODI century, holing out to the deep in the 48th over, but India still completed a four-wicket win over New Zealand in their World Cup 2023 match in Dharamsala.
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Earlier this week, Kohli’s century against Bangladesh divided opinion for the manner in which he farmed the strike to reach the milestone. Against New Zealand, the game was much closer, but Kohli found himself in a similar scenario: as the required runs came down below 20, the deficit hovered around the same figure required to bring up his century.
It would have been a monumental milestone: the hundred would have put him level with Sachin Tendulkar for the most centuries in ODI history (49).
Off the first ball of the 47th over, Kohli clattered a six off Trent Boult, bringing the equation down to 13 needed, and himself moving to 88 off 96. He hit a four two balls later in an over that also had a wide for height. Ravindra Jadeja defended the final ball of the over to let Kohli keep strike for the next one.
Thursday: Kohli turns down singles, hits a six to win the game and reach his century 💯
Sunday: Kohli turns down a single, falls trying to hit a six to win the game and reach his century 😬
Still, another brilliant innings to take India to victory! 👏#INDvNZ #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/lTzCzOGISJ
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) October 22, 2023
The following over, Kohli defended the third delivery, having managed two off the first two, as Matt Henry kept his lines tight. Off the fourth ball (and with five required), Kohli pulled a slower one towards deep midwicket, but just couldn’t manage to take it the distance. Glenn Phillips, in the deep, completed an easy catch to silence the thousands of India fans in Dharamsala. Despite missing his century, Kohli is still 3/5 favourite to be India’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup with Betway.
Two balls later, though, Jadeja ticked off the remaining runs, dragging a short ball to the deep square leg fence. With the win, India displaced New Zealand at the top of the points table.
India will now play England in their next fixture, in Lucknow on October 29. New Zealand’s next assignment is against Australia at the same venue on October 28.
