CHENNAI: Going into the stadium, a little boy was heard telling his father: "Papa, I just want to see Kohli get runs." He couldn't be traced in the sea of humanity after the eight-hour drama and the six-wicket win, but he must have been over the moon. His hero hadn't let him down with an 85 that can well be on par with any of his 47 ODI centuries.
Forget the empty stands, the occasional damp squib. The Indian World Cup festival has well and truly started.
The joy, the colour, euphoria and the roller-coaster of emotions that make Indian cricket so special were all on display on a hot, humid Sunday at the Chepauk. And by the end of it, the thousands who were at the ground and millions who followed the Men in Blue on different platforms had their time's worth.
And what a way to do it! Being three down for two chasing 200 on a tricky track, Virat Kohli, in the company of an ever-improving KL Rahul (97*), stitched together a partnership of 165 runs off 215 balls that showed the depth and quality of this Indian team. Not that it was without its moments of anxiety. With the score reading 20-3, a mistimed pull off Kohli's bat lobbed up in the air and it was an absolute regulation catch for square leg fielder Mitchell Marsh. But the usually sure Aussie dropped the ball running in and it completely changed the mindset of not just the Indian master, but the entire stadium.
The belief, that had evaporated after a brilliant opening spell of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, suddenly seemed to be back. Kohli and Rahul went into that famous zone where it seemed that they would never get out as the 32,000 at the beautiful Chepauk chanted on., 'K-o-hl-i! K-o-h-l-i'!
While a couple of classy flicks on the onside off Cameron Green helped Kohli ease the pressure on himself, Rahul's moment of the day was even more crucial in the context of the game.
On a pitch that had a lot in it for the spinners, Aussie hopes hinged on leggie Adam Zampa. But as he came in for his first in the 18th, Rahul played two exquisite late-cuts that made old-timers reminisce of an old master -GR Viswanath. Rahul followed it up with a beautiful cover drive to the fence, and the Aussies were suddenly pain fully aware that they had nowhere to go.
Runs kept flowing from the duo's bat like a tumbling brook but what made it such a pleasing occasion was the effortlessness attached to it. It seemed the two were on an evening stroll and Kohli's dismissal, 33 runs away from the target, hardly made a difference to the final outcome.
1/10:World Cup: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul guide nervy India to 6-wicket win over Australia
2/10:Defiant knocks by Kohli and Rahul
<p>Virat Kohli and KL Rahul hit defiant knocks to lift India from a perilous three down for two runs to a six-wicket win over Australia in their opening World Cup match on Sunday.<br /></p>PTI
3/10:India lose three inside two overs
<p>Chasing a tricky target of 200, India lost three batsmen, who all failed to score, inside two overs before Kohli (85) and Rahul (97 not out) put on 165. Victory was secured with 52 balls to spare.<br /></p>
4/10:Jadeja shines at Chepauk
<p>Spinner Ravindra Jadeja returned figures of 3-28 to help bowl out Australia for 199 in 49.3 overs in the 150th ODI meeting between the two cricket giants.<br /></p>AP
5/10:Starc sends back Ishan early
<p>Australia's fast bowlers then came out all guns blazing to rattle the Indian top-order after left-arm quick Mitchell Starc sent back Ishan Kishan for a duck in the first over.<br /></p>AP
6/10:Hazlewood dismisses Rohit and Shreyas in one over
<p>Josh Hazlewood struck twice in the next to remove skipper Rohit Sharma lbw and then Shreyas Iyer caught at cover also for nought to silence the home crowd of 32,531.<br /></p>Getty Images
7/10:Marsh drops Kohli and the match too!
<p>Hazlewood nearly made it four down when he got Kohli to top-edge a delivery only for Mitchell Marsh to drop a skier. Kohli was on 12 at the time.<br /></p>Reuters
8/10:Gritty fifties by Kohli, Rahul
<p>Kohli scored his 67th ODI half-century and raised his bat to acknowledge the loud cheers. Rahul soon reached his fifty in the 28th over as India went to 106-3 and in control.<br /></p>
9/10:Hazlewood finally sends Kohli back
<p>Kohli finally fell to Hazlewood, caught out at mid-wicket and walked off to a standing ovation.<br /><br /></p>ANI
10/10:Rahul finishes it off in style!
<p>Rahul hit the winning six with Hardik Pandya at the other end.<br /><br /></p>PTIBefore Kohli and Rahul took over for the main act, it was the bowlers who did the spadework. The pitch had enough help for the spinners, but it needs class and quality to make the most of it. The Indian spin trio -led by Ravindra Jadeja (3/28) and backed up by Kuldeep Yadav (2/42) and R Ashwin (1/34) were at times unplayable as the hosts took charge.
While Jadeja hit the right spots and let the pitch take over, Kuldeep was superb as the attacking option -always looking to take wickets. His new-found ability to bowl a little faster through the air, courtesy, some modifications in the action, had the Aussies in a spin. Ashwin, on the other hand, didn't try to do anything flashy and did his job to perfection.
