Pakistan had looked like favourites until an extraordinary burst from Kohli at the death saw India clinch victory off the final ball of the match
Melbourne: Pakistan 159-8, India 160-6 – India win by four wickets
Virat Kohli was to his majestic best in a remarkable unbeaten 82* that dragged India to victory over Pakistan by four wickets in an extraordinary game that had it all and more.
India came out on top as the sold-out Melbourne Cricket Ground was treated to a thriller befitting of the occasion. Kohli and India had seemed out of it with three overs remaining, but the former captain had other ideas, watching from the non-striker's end as Ravichandran Ashwin hit the winning run off the final ball of the match in front of a crowd 90,293 spectators strong.
Earlier, Arshdeep Singh had trapped Babar Azam in front for a first-ball duck in his first over and then had Mohammed Rizwan caught on the boundary in his second as tangible tension turned to jubilation for the crowd in Indian blue.
This opening burst mirrored the game a year ago tomorrow when fellow left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi broke the World Cup contest between India and Pakistan open by removing the opposition openers early. Suddenly Pakistan, without their best batters, were forced to resolve their middle-order woes on the biggest stage.
Shan Masood (52 off 42) built steadily with Iftikhar Ahmed, the former survived a reviewed catch from Ashwin in the eighth over, and the latter a dropped catch in the eleventh. Spin changed the complexion of the innings, Iftikhar hitting four sixes in two post-drinks spin overs to bring up a 32-ball fifty. He then fell to the re-introduction of seam two balls later.
Hardik Pandya (3 for 30) removed Shadab Khan and Haider Ali identically, caught by Suryakumar Yadav and then Mohammad Nawaz caught behind. Arshdeep returned to bounce out the dangerous Asif Ali as Pakistan floundered with three overs to go.
Pace and more pace greeted the Indians. Naseem Shah got KL Rahul to play on and Haris Rauf removed Rohit Sharma to leave them 10 for 2. Suddenly, the late flourish in the Pakistan innings looked vital in the momentum of the contest.
Kohli ended unbeaten on 82 off 53 balls to drag his country over the line (Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images)
India were plunged further into trouble and Pakistan into delight when Rauf bowled a rising delivery to remove Yadav and Axar Patel was run out by Babar a ball after the powerplay. India were 31 for 4 and would have to win the unwinnable.
Three sixes from Pandya and Virat Kohli in the 12th over wrestled some balance back into the contest, there was a palpable shift as the game brewed into life. Indian aggression met with an impressive – albeit wicketless – spell from Shadab and Rauf returning strongly, conceding just six in the 16th over.
Afridi's 18th over ensured the game was alive; it went for 17, Kohli bringing up his 50, and left India needing 31 off 12 balls. But he kept the game alive by hitting the final two balls of the penultimate over for six, leaving 16 required off the last – to be bowled by Nawaz, with Pakistan having run out of pace options.
He struck with the first ball, dismissing Pandya. But Kohli reduced the equation to six off three with a six off a no-ball. The free hit was a wide, which carried it over into the next delivery, which bowled Kohli but deflected off the stumps past short third man for three fortuitous byes.
Two off two became two off one when Dinesh Karthik was stumped, but a wide brought the scores level and gave Ashwin his and India's victory moment, lofting the winning run over mid-off for a famous, incredible victory.