Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian opener, showered praise on Virat Kohli for his outstanding 95-run innings, which played a pivotal role in India’s successful chase of 274 with two overs to spare. Gambhir commended Kohli as a “chase master” and classified him as a finisher, emphasizing that being a finisher isn’t limited to batting in the middle or lower-middle order.
Kohli, who narrowly missed his 49th ODI century by just five runs, is currently the leading run-scorer of the tournament, amassing 354 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 118, featuring one century and three fifties.
Gambhir also acknowledged Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s intent at the start of the run chase, where he aggressively took on the Kiwi new ball bowlers, smashing them around the park. Rohit’s 40-ball 46 included four sixes and as many fours before he was dismissed by Lockie Ferguson.
Prior to the chase, Mohammed Shami’s five-wicket haul in his first match of the tournament left a strong impression. Shami made immediate inroads with the new ball, breaking the third-wicket partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra. He went on to clean up the tail, limiting New Zealand to 273 runs, despite Mitchell’s century.
Gambhir expressed his belief that Shami should have been a part of India’s playing XI from the beginning of the World Cup.
This victory marked India’s fifth consecutive win in the World Cup 2023, ending a 20-year wait for a win over New Zealand in ICC events. Notably, India has won all their matches in the World Cup while chasing, showcasing their prowess in run chases.
Gautam Gambhir said, "there is no better finisher than Virat Kohli. A finisher is not only those who bat at No.5 or No.7 – he is a chase master". (Star). pic.twitter.com/7bedL6eLoy
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 22, 2023
