Smart talent wins India game against Pakistan in WC 2022

Virat Kohli plucked a stunning win from the jaws of defeat. And, the extraordinary triumph over arch-rival Pakistan at the iconic MCG in a World Cup could not have come at a better time, just on the eve of Diwali. In the frenzy that followed thereafter, a crucial aspect of the last few balls of the game appears to have been drowned in the noisy scene.  The last over saw three senior Indian players on show. All three are 30 plus years old. In a crunch pressure-cooker kind of a situation, the three brought to bear their immense experience and exhibited a rare knowledge. All three are talented. There is no doubt about that. Is talent enough to carry the day? Talent sans intelligence is no use. In this instance, their show transcended talent and bordered on intelligence. A no-ball followed by a wide and a free-hit saw Kohli bowled. Kohli ran. So did Dinesh Karthik. These two senior batsmen acted intelligently and impulsively to scamper for runs. If they aren’t aware of the rules at that tense moment, the match would have gone the other way. With one ball to go and two runs to get, Ashwin acted calmly to earn a wide. The rest is history.  Smart talent is what makes the difference.