India and Australia played a fascinating low-scoring encounter at Chepauk in the ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday, October 8. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli orchestrated India’s six-wicket win with a crucial 165-run partnership, helping the ‘Men in Blue’ recover from a precarious situation at 2/3 and going on to chase down the target of 200.
Kohli was dismissed for 85 off 116 but Rahul saw the team through alongside Hardik Pandya, with 8.4 overs to spare. The Karnataka batter was awarded Player of the Match for his unbeaten 97 off 115 balls. He jokingly said that he was trying to get his breath back upon reaching the crease after three of India’s first four batters were dismissed in the first couple of overs of the run-chase.
“Quite honestly, not a lot of conversation. I was just trying to catch my breath as I just had a shower. I thought I would get a good half an hour – [or] an hour’s – break, put the feet up and just rest up. But I was out there in no time, so there was a bit of rush. I was just trying to get my breath back,” Rahul said while receiving the Player of the Match award at the post-match presentation ceremony.
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The 31-year-old revealed that Kohli told him to bide his time and play in Test cricket mode to counter the Aussie bowlers, who had their tails up on a pitch that was offering them a lot of help.
“Virat said there’s big help in the wicket, and [we] just have to play proper shots and play like it’s Test cricket for some time and see where it goes. That was mostly the plan, and happy that we could do the job for the team,” the wicketkeeper-batter added after getting off to a great start in the ODI World Cup 2023.
Rahul has been in exceptional form in ODI cricket this year. In 13 innings, the right-handed batter has amassed 628 runs at a staggering average of 78.50 and a decent strike rate of 86.5. He has scored five half-centuries and one century in this period.