Virat Kohli backs MS Dhoni's 'slow batting' through middle overs

Virat Kohli batting with MS Dhoni (Picture courtesy/ AFP)

Virat Kohli backed MS Dhoni after winning against West Indies by 125 runs in the World Cup 2019.

MS Dhoni batted alongside Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya through the middle overs and scored 56 runs not-out off 61 balls. Dhoni increased his scoring rate in the last over of India's innings when he bludgeoned two sixes and a four.

"He looks what he wants to do, and anybody can have off-days. When he has off-days, everybody starts talking. We back him, and the best thing is when you need extra 15-20 runs in the end, he does that well. He knows how to bat with the tail. His experience, eight out of 10 times, works for us. We have quite a few players who play instinctive cricket. He's one guy who sends out a message that what the par score is on a pitch," Kohli said at the post-match ceremony.

In the match between India and West Indies, the former won the toss and chose to bat first. The Men in Blue kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and it was due to Kohli and Dhoni that the team managed to post a challenging total of 268 runs on the board.

Kohli played a knock of 72 runs whereas Dhoni remained unbeaten on 56. Dhoni faced severe criticism for his innings in the team's last match against Afghanistan. The wicket-keeper batsman was playing at his own pace in the match against West Indies, but he went on to accelerate in the final over to allow the team to post a challenging total.

"If he says 265 is a good score on a pitch, we don't aim for 300 and end up scoring 230. He's a legend for us, and hopefully, he'll continue. The last two games, things haven't gone as we thought it would, but we've found ways of winning. The intensity in the field in the first 15 overs is something really good. Bodies on the line, and mindset. We feel we can win from any situation," Kohli said.

Defending the total of 268, Indian bowlers were exceptional as they bundled out West Indies for a mediocre total of 143. Mohammad Shami was the leading wicket-taker for India as he scalped four wickets.

Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Hardik Pandya were also amongst the wickets.

India are the only unbeaten team remaining in the World Cup 2019 and have now moved to the second spot in the table, behind Australia.

The team will next take on England on June 30.

With inputs from ANI

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