Virat Kohli put his recent batting ills behind him with a rhythm oft-associated with him in ODI run chases as he scored his 51st century in the format. After the bowlers did much of the heavy-lifting, Kohli sealed Pakistan's fate - for the fifth time in ICC events - with a masterful, unbeaten 100 off 111.
The signs for him to shrug off some of his recent Test troubles and go about usual business in the 50-over format was there in the last ODI before the showpiece event, when he got a similarly-paced 52 against England in Ahmedabad. But there and in the previous fixture in Cuttack, Adil Rashid managed to prey on his tentativeness against spin. On Sunday, he didn't let Pakistan take a leaf out of Rashid's book as he indulged in strike rotation during the vital partnerships with Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer.
"To be honest, it feels good to be able to bat in that manner in an important game to seal qualification. Feels good to contribute in a game where we lost Rohit early, had to put in the understanding of what we learnt in the last game," Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
"My job was to control the middle overs against the spinners without taking too many risks, towards the end Shreyas accelerated and I got a few boundaries as well. It allowed me to play my usual ODI game. I have a decent understanding of my game, it is about keeping the outside noise away, staying in my space and taking care of my energy levels and thoughts," he added.
Rohit Sharma's early exit, to an immaculate delivery from Shaheen Afridi didn't derail India's chase like Pakistan would've wanted. That was largely down to how well Shubman Gill, recently anointed the No.1 ODI batter in the world, took down Shaheen Afridi in the PowerPlay. India got to 10 overs with 64/1, with Gill getting a run-a-ball 35.
"Having clarity is important, it was important to understand that you need to get runs when there is pace on the ball, otherwise the spinners can dictate things. Shubman did well against Shaheen, took him up. There's a reason he's the number one batter of the world. It was necessary to get about 60-70 runs in the powerplay, or we'd always be chasing the game. And there Shreyas is really coming into his own at number 4. Did well in India, and now out here as well," Kohli offered.
The win leaves Pakistan with the ignominious possibility of soon getting knocked out of their home Champions Trophy. It will turn into reality if New Zealand beat Bangladesh on Monday (February 24). India meanwhile can rest on their early laurels of two wins until next Sunday, when they face New Zealand. Kohli welcomed the prospect of a week's downtime.
"To be honest, at 36, it feels really good. Will put my feet up for a few days as it takes a lot out of me to put that kind of effort into every game," he said.