'Chase master' Kohli lauded after taking India to brink of Champions glory

DUBAI: Virat Kohli was hailed on Wednesday as the “chase master” after his latest trademark innings took India into a third successive Champions Trophy final.

Kohli stroked a controlled 84 to put India within sight of their victory target of 265 in the semi-final against Australia in Dubai on Tuesday. When the 36-year-old departed India needed a manageable 40 off 44 balls and completed the win with 11 deliveries to spare.

They will face South Africa or New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Dubai. Kohli brought up 8,000 runs in ODI chases during the innings, which followed an unbeaten 100 that took India past a 242-run target against arch-rivals Pakistan earlier in the tournament.

“He has about 30-40 centuries while chasing, has the most runs while chasing and that’s why he has got the tag of ‘chase master’,” former India opener Virender Sehwag said on website Cricbuzz.

“This chase was peanuts for him as he smiled through it.” “King Kohli” has now scored 8,063 runs at a remarkable average of 64.50 when India bat second in one-day internationals -- behind only all-time great Sachin Tendulkar’s 8,720 at 42.33.

Kohli crafted and paced his innings to near perfection against Australia, hitting only five fours but with his renowned fitness allowing him constantly to pick up ones and twos with quick running.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain said that Kohli’s skill was to keep the scoreboard ticking over by reducing dot balls to a minimum. “At one stage, in 25 deliveries he had 23 singles and a two or something,” Hussain said on Sky Sports. “He manages to knock it around and just when the opposition captain thinks, ‘I might have to bring (a fielder) up’, he knocks it over their head and takes a boundary option.”