India vs England 2021: Three Masterstrokes From Virat Kohli That Helped India To Win The T20 Series Decider

Virat Kohli brought the best out of his troops in the final T20 against England and a lot of credits had to go to him for his captaincy and for his crucial knocks in the series. India has won the series 3-2 against a tough England side and is well on their way to take the much-needed confidence into the T20 WorldCup in October.

India came up with so many surprises with their selection but had backed it up with good performances and this is a testimony of the bench strength India has got in. To come back in the series after trailing 1-2 at the third game is not at all an easy task and India have done the job to perfection. Here are 3 masterstrokes from Virat Kohli that helped India win the 5th T20.

3 Masterstrokes From Virat Kohli That Helped India To Win The 5th T20I:

Promoting Himself In The Batting Order:

Virat Kohli promoted himself up the order in the place of Kl Rahul who was dropped for the 5th T20. The plan worked very nicely as India did not lose any early wickets and two of the best batsmen from India faced a lot of deliveries which was decisive in the end. He finished with 80 not out of just 52 deliveries with two sixes and 7 fours that propelled the Indian total to a massive 224 on the board.

Virat Kohli was adjudged the man of the series for his excellent run of form with the bat in which he scored three unbeaten half-centuries and two of those knocks helped Indians win. This could be the way India go about things in the T20 WorldCup as mentioned by Virat Kohli in the post-match interview and he also added that he will open in the IPL which is good signs for the Indian team.

Dropping KL Rahul And Playing An Additional Bowler:

Nobody expected India to play an additional bowler in the final T20, but the decision did come out well as India was in need of six bowlers to redeem themselves at a stage when England was cruising. The fact that Washington Sundar had an off day meant India needed to use their sixth bowler Hardik Pandya for his full quota and he stood up which was the biggest positive for India out of the series.

Also, it wasn’t an easy decision to drop KL Rahul from the squad who has been the best T20 player for India in the last two years, and it indeed proved to be a masterclass as Rohit was able to play freely. With Suryakumar Yadav in at three, India could be assured that he can be the X factor in the team and his shot-making was very impressive in his last two games.

Promoting Hardik Pandya In The Batting Order:

Hardik Pandya was sent up the order at four to increase the scoring rate and he continued his rich vein of form in the limited-overs format for India. He finished with 39 off just 17 deliveries in the innings alongside two sixes and four boundaries in his quickfire knock. His knock had meant that India finished with a big score in a crucial game and set the pressure on the opponents.

Hardik Pandya has always been a great finisher for India in the last two to three years which has given India the cushion to pick an extra bowler. He has done the job for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL in the past and even England’s world-class bowlers could not stop him when he gets going. Certainly, Virat Kohli’s decision to bring in Hardik Pandya up the order was a masterstroke.