Kohli comes around in Oval

Given a choice, Virat Kohli would wrap up the Adelaide Oval and take it home with him. Actually, he admitted just as much after scoring what turned out to be a match-winning hundred against Pakistan on Sunday. And if nothing, Ian Chappell will probably suggest once more that Kohli should name his daughter 'Adelaide' just like a chap called Lara named his 'Sydney'.

Kohli's century, his 22nd in the ODI game, was nowhere close to being his best knock. Perhaps, it wouldn't even feature in a 'Top 10 Kohli 100s' package an enterprising programme editor would compile some day for some channel. It was his fourth hundred at this venue. But such was its impact on a day where nerve mattered more than verve that it ensured India were runaway winners of the deservingly-hyped Group 'B' contest.

After being slammed for notching up a string of single-digit scores in the tri-series last month, Kohli shut all those folks up with a not-so-typical knock. For the first time in recent memory, he played the role of a sheet anchor, letting Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina assume the lead role in both partnerships, each yielding 100-plus runs.

Whenever and wherever there's a match like this, 'Lady Luck' is sure to turn up. No, we aren't talking about Anushka Sharma. She's his 'Lady Love', of course! Kohli should have gone back with 104 fewer to his name, but a dazed Yasir Shah was a tad late in judging the descent of a pull shot at deep midwicket. Surely, Shahid Afridi's day only got worse from there.

'Lady Luck' refused to part with Kohli. More on that a little later.

As he went about his business with hitherto unseen caution — his first boundary came off the 18th ball he faced — Kohli was actually setting himself up for an epic. Heck, what else do you term a knock that happens to be the first worth three figures in the history of Indo-Pak clashes at the World Cup?

Having broken the shackles by pulling Sohail Khan wide of the man at midwicket, Kohli kept himself and the others busy by happily running the ones and twos and applauding the more destructive Dhawan. A noticeable feature of his knock was the manner in which he opened up his stance against the left-arm seamers, perhaps to have a double-eye view of the ball and also counter the angles. He did it well.

It was only when leg-spinner Yasir Shah came on to bowl that Kohli decided to change gears. Sort of, that is. Two fours in three balls, both executed by creating room and hit on the off side, took him into the 40s. Kohli had Shah to thank yet again when the 36-year-old dished out another boundary ball. And suddenly, Kohli was batting on 50 off 60 deliveries.

But he continued to hang in there. The dismissal of his Delhi mate Dhawan, courtesy a horrible mix-up, only toughened Kohli up. He was on 75 then. A run and a minute later, wicketkeeper Umar Akmal dropped him off the part-time left-arm spinner Haris Sohail. See, 'she' was there.

His journey from 80 to 100, which he reached with a single off Afridi, took 27 deliveries. So what? As it was proved during Pakistan batting, the wicket was two-paced and scoring was not easy. It was Suresh Raina, who started celebrating his batting partner's century first. It was a selfless heart warming gesture. Any sign of camaraderie on cricket ground is welcome.

People have been used to Kohli celebrating his hundreds with a flying kiss to his filmstar girlfriend. But on Sunday, he took his helmet off, looked at the sky and appeared to say "This one is for you, dad". It was a hundred against Pakistan in a World Cup, the solemnity of it was not lost in that moment.

In all, Kohli hit 67 runs off 66 balls he faced from the spinners. Four Februarys ago, he had kicked things off with a ton against Bangladesh in Dhaka. You know what happened 45 days later. Fingers crossed, then.

QUOTE
I want to wrap up this ground and take it home
--Virat Kohli

COMETH THE HOUR...
Virat Kohli became the first Indian batsman to score a century against Pakistan in a World Cup game. The highest score by an Indian before this match was Sachin Tendulkar's 98 in Centurion in 2003
This was Kohli's 22nd ton in ODIs, becoming the quickest to the reach the figure (151 innings). Tendulkar was the quickest before Kohli, taking 213 innings

MAKING ADELAIDE HIS OWN
Virat Kohli's love affair with the Adelaide Oval continued. Here's the list of centuries Kohli has notched up at the picturesque ground Down Under...
107: vs Pakistan, World Cup, 2015
115: vs Australia, first Test, 2014
141: vs Australia, first Test, 2014
116: vs Australia, fourth Test, 2012