Pakistan’s decision to hold back Mohammad Nawaz until the last over backfired as, with 13 required from three balls, the slow left-arm was adjudged to have bowled an above-waist-height no-ball which was heaved for six by Kohli. Nawaz’s nerve deserted him as he threw in a wide down the leg-side with two needed off the last ball, after which Ravichandran Ashwin coolly lifted over the in-field for a single as India overhauled Pakistan’s 159 for eight with four wickets to spare.

On more than one occasion India looked sunk in the run-chase, but a 113-run union between Kohli and Hardik Pandya (40 off 37 balls) kept them afloat, with the pair growing in authority as the stand grew. Kohli, who last month ended a two-and-a-half-year wait for an international century in any format. Has particularly watchful after India had slipped to 31 for four, taking just 15 off his first 24 balls.

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Walking through the soul-stirring final over in India’s win over Pakistan

He seized the moment when it counted, not just off Nawaz but helping to get the target down to a manageable 16 off six with back-to-back sixes from the last two balls of the penultimate over. Bowled by Haris Rauf, amid a cacophony of noise from a 90,293 crowd that ratcheted up in a dramatic finale. Following the sensational win, India skipper Rohit Sharma lauded Virat Kohli and called the batter’s MCG heroics inning as former captain’s best ever. Stating that it is always important to get off the mark well. Rohit said that this win would give them a lot of confidence.

An explosive half-century by star batter Virat Kohli and a century stand with Hardik Pandya helped India defeat Pakistan by four wickets in their Group 2 clash. With this win, India is at top of Group 2 with two points. “Those two guys (Kohli and Pandya) are experienced. Staying calm and taking the game deep was very critical. Good for our confidence. Always crucial to get off the mark like this. We were in no position to win this. The way we won that’s more pleasing for us. Hats off to Virat for the way he batted, has to be the best innings he has played for India.