India and Pakistan met in the league match of the Asia Cup 2012 at the Shere Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first on a batting wicket in Mirpur. Openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed took a liking to the Indian bowlers as they hammered them to all parts of the ground, as they added 224 runs in 36 overs. Jamshed was the first to go for 112 with 10 fours and 1 six in 104 balls and Hafeez made 105 with 9 fours and 1 six.
5 amazing Virat Kohli centuries which came in successful ODI chases
Younus Khan gave the innings a perfect end with 52 in 34 balls and Pakistan put on a pretty big 329/6 in 50 overs. Praveen Kumar (2/77) and Ashoke Dinda (2/47) were the picks of Indian bowlers.
India needed a grand start to chase down such a target, but lost Gautam Gambhir to a two-ball duck to Hafeez. Tendulkar made 52 and added 133 runs with Virat Kohli for the second wicket, before falling to Saeed Ajmal, in what proved to be his final ODI match of an illustrious career.
From then on, Virat Kohli took the lead in the chase of 330 runs and got support from Rohit Sharma, who made 68 runs. Kohli got the better of every Pakistani bowler, be it Umar Gul, Hafeez, Aizaz Cheema, Ajmal or Afridi. He slammed 22 fours and 1 six in his 148-ball innings which was sublime to watch.
He picked apart gaps with minute accuracy and played the dangerous Ajmal quite well. Kohli was looking good to take India all the way but fell to Gul on 183 runs with 12 runs needed to win for the Men in Blue.
Jonty Rhodes ranks Virat Kohli as the most powerful player in the Team India
India won the match by 6 wickets in hand and 13 balls to go and Kohli deservedly won the Man of the Match award. The innings remain Kohli’s highest score in ODI cricket to date and showed the amazing talent he possessed. This is also the highest ODI score by a batsman against Pakistan.
And he has just built upon that talent with experience and is now considered to be one of the best all-format batsmen in the world.
Enjoy Kohli’s magnificent innings here:
