The two chase masters were at it, again. Set a target of 299 to win the match and stay alive in the series, captain Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni forged an extremely crucial partnership for the fourth wicket which saw India get home in the final over.
Kohli, who slammed his 39th ODI ton, was dismissed for 104, but Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni combined beautifully to put together a stand of 57 runs in 34 balls which took India home. Kohli was awarded the man of the match for his superb innings.
"Very pleased. We wanted to try and restrict them in the end. To get them (Maxi and Marsh) in two balls was outstanding for us. Those breakthroughs were crucial. That meant we were not chasing 330. Bhuvi was outstanding with the ball, he came back and brought us in the game towards the end," Kohli said after the match.
Speaking about pacing the chase, Kohli said that he wants to be in control of when to strike and when to soak up the pressure as it becomes imperative to keep a track of the scoreboard at all times.
'Try to keep things simple'
"Every time we have a target on board, I try to stay as aware as possible in recognising when to strike. When it comes off it looks nice. I try and keep things simple," he added.
The weather was very sapping in Adelaide and it took a toll on the players. The skipper conceded that the conditions were rather unforgiving. Kohli, who has been a vocal advocate of Dhoni, praised the seasoned campaigner and said that there was no doubt over his position in the World Cup side.
"There is no doubt that he shouldn't be a part of this team. Tonight was an MS classic. Only he knows what's going through his mind. He calculates the game so well. He backs himself to hit those big hits. Hats off to him and Dinesh as well. He came in and showed the right kind of intent. MS was as composed as ever. We try and help each other (MS and himself)," he said.
With this win, India has drawn level in three-match series and the stakes will be pretty high on January 18 in the big match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
