'Only he could've done that': Shadab Khan recalls Virat Kohli’s MCG masterclass ahead of IND vs PAK clash

India and Pakistan are set to face off in the third match of the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2023 edition on Saturday, September 2nd, in the picturesque city of Kandy. This clash between the two cricketing powerhouses will reignite their fierce rivalry, following a memorable encounter in last year's T20 World Cup 2022 edition.

In that thrilling contest, both teams found themselves in the same group, and their paths crossed at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. The match that unfolded was nothing short of a spectacle, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.

India won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that proved fruitful as Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh wreaked havoc, claiming three wickets each. Pakistan struggled to find their footing and could only muster a total of 159 runs for the loss of eight wickets.

When it was India's turn to bat, they faced an early setback, losing four wickets with just 31 runs on the board. However, the resilient duo of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya stepped up to the challenge, forging a remarkable partnership of 113 runs for the fifth wicket. Kohli's unbeaten knock of 82 runs off 53 balls, combined with Hardik's quickfire 40 off 37 deliveries, breathed new life into India's run-chase.

As the tension mounted, Kohli unleashed a flurry of exquisite strokes, showcasing his masterful batting skills. With just four wickets in hand and the match hanging in the balance, Kohli's heroics guided India to a thrilling victory on the last ball, leaving Babar Azam and his Pakistani teammates stunned.

In anticipation of the Indo-Pak clash during the group stage of the Asia Cup, Pakistani all-rounder Shadab Khan reminisced about Kohli's exceptional performance.

"He is a world class player, definitely. You have to plan a lot to face him. Anyway, in international cricket, there are a lot of mind games, because you definitely have the skill to reach that level. But how you read each other's minds, the bowler and the batter, how they read each other's minds, and it also depends on what the situation is," Shadab said on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues'.

"The kind of batsman that Virat Kohli is, the way he has performed against us, even in the last match at the World Cup, I don't think that if any other batsman in the world was in that situation, could have done that to our bowling line-up. And the beauty of it is that he can do this at any stage and at any time," the white-ball vice-captain added.

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