Al-Ittihad hit form at last to boost battle against relegation

Al-Ittihad were unrecognizable from their recent disappointing run of form. (SPL)
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Updated 25 August 2020
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Al-Ittihad hit form at last to boost battle against relegation

  • 4-1 win over struggling Al-Fayha leaves Jeddah side three points clear of drop zone with three games to play

RIYADH: Relegation-threatened Al-Ittihad belatedly seem to have hit something approaching top form as the disrupted Saudi Professional League season heads toward a tense conclusion.

Having flirted with the relegation zone, and what would be an ignominious drop from the Saudi top flight, the Jeddah club enjoyed a 4-1 victory over fellow basement battlers Al-Fayha on Monday. They can breathe a little more easily now as they sit in 11th place, three points clear of the drop zone with three matches left to play.

Al-Ittihad were unrecognizable from their recent disappointing run of form as they took a two-goal lead within five minutes, thanks to a Romarinho double. The first came only two minutes after kick-off, when the Brazilian playmaker side-footed Saud Abdulhamid’s cross into the net. Three minutes later, Romarinho doubled the lead, taking advantage of a defensive mistake to power a shot past Moslem Al-Freej after a fine pass from Fahad Al-Muwallad.

Al-Ittihad could not maintain their devastating start, however, and as their old insecurities began to surface, the visitors managed to get themselves back in the match midway through the first half.

What in the early stages had looked like it would be a comfortable evening for the home side suddenly turned nervy after 28 minutes when Al-Fayha’s own Brazilian star, Neto, halved the deficit with a fine, close-range volley after the ball had struck the crossbar.

A heroic double save by keeper Marcelo Grohe prevented an equalizer early in the second half, as Al-Fayah coach Jorge Simao threw caution to the wind in an effort to capitalize on Al-Ittihad’s nerves.

On 66 minutes, however, a fine pass by Abdulaziz Al-Bishi left Al-Muwallad one-on-one with Al-Freej, who had no choice but to impede the Saudi international as he skipped past him. Al-Muwallad himself buried the penalty to all but clinch the points for Al-Ittihad.

That was not the end of the scoring, however. With 15 minutes left, the Saudi duo again combined to produce the move of the match, as Al-Bishi slipped the ball through to Al-Muwallad, who delivered a clinical finish into the roof of the net.

The defeat leaves Al-Fayha in 13th place, just two points above the relegation zone. The 4-1 scoreline might flatter Al-Ittihad but with only three matches left, so long as they continue to secure the points coach Fabio Carille and his players will care little for the quality of the performances.

Al-Bishi, who started for Al-Ittihad for the first time since a 2-1 home defeat to Damac on Feb. 10, was outstanding on his return and said he is looking forward to the remaining matches against Al-Fateh (away), Al-Nassr (home) and, on the last day of the season, Al-Adalah (away)

“As you know, our position in the league has not been very good,” Al-Bishi said. “But today we came in with high spirits; we were determined to get the three points and we managed to do that. Now we have to keep winning in the next three matches.”

Grohe, who excelled in goal for Al-Ittihad, put the ultimately comfortable win down to team ethic.

“Three important points — the win was the most important thing today,” he said. “We now have to keep the same focus in the coming matches.

“The difference is that the team has more unity and coherence. I know we can do better but it was a collective effort from every member of the team today.

“Until it’s confirmed mathematically, we have to maintain our focus in the coming period. The next match, against Al-Fateh, is the most important one now, and after that we can start to talk about beating relegation.”

His counterpart, Al-Fayha goalkeeper Al-Freej, was understandably disappointed.

“It was a bad day for us, collectively, but we have to put this match behind us,” he said. “We have a difficult match coming up. We have to forget this. The match against Al-Nassr is now so important — we need the three points.”

Al-Fayha have only collected two points from five games since the league restarted this month after an unscheduled break of almost five months because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the ’keeper believes the results do not reflect their performances.

“We played two matches against Damac and Al-Shabab (and) we were unlucky; we deserved to win both,” Al-Freej said. “Today we were unfortunate but that’s football. We have to work harder and, hopefully, we can rectify our position in the little time that’s left.”

Earlier in the day, Al-Fateh eased their own relegation fears by beating Al-Hazem 4-3 in a dramatic clash. It leaves them in 12th place on 29 points, two points above their hosts, who remain inside the drop zone in 14th position.

The first half ended 1-1, with Sofiane Bendebka’s 18th-minute opener canceled out by a Carlos Strandberg penalty five minutes before the break. But the action at Al-Hazem Stadium was only getting started.

Al-Fateh began the second half in the ascendancy and took a two-goal lead courtesy of Mitchell te Vrede on 49 minutes and Bashkim Kadrii two minutes later.

Just before the hour mark, Osama Al-Khalaf pulled one back to raise the possibility of a remarkable comeback for Al-Hazem, but Ali Al-Hassan appeared to kill their hopes when he restored the two-goal lead on 80 minutes. Abdulrahman Al-Yami made it 4-3 a minute into stoppage time, but by then the clock was against Al-Hazem.

In the day’s other games, Al-Ettifaq thrashed Al-Raed 4-0 in the opening match of round 27, while Al-Shabab and Abha Club played out a 1-1 draw in their middle-of-the-table clash.
 


Hady Habib eyeing top 100 after historic Australian Open run

Updated 24 February 2025
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Hady Habib eyeing top 100 after historic Australian Open run

  • Lebanese trailblazer grateful for ‘huge learning experience’ in Doha and Dubai
  • 26-year-old has moved up the rankings from 320 to 166 in the world in the span of two months

DUBAI: Life has been a whirlwind for Lebanese tennis player Hady Habib these past few months, but you would not know that by speaking to him, given his calm and collected demeanor.

The 26-year-old moved up the rankings from 320 to 166 in the world in the span of two months, and in the process made history as the first Lebanese in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles main draw match, at the Australian Open a few weeks ago.

When he reached the second round in Melbourne, he received an unexpected phone call from the president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun.

“I was actually at the gym. This was after I won my first round, and I get a call from this random number. They didn’t really tell me who was going to talk to you. Some guy from the presidential palace was like, ‘I have someone to talk to you,’ and then this guy congratulated me,” Habib told Arab News this week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“He said ‘congrats’. I’m like, ‘sorry, who am I speaking to?’ He’s like, ‘this is the president.’

“I'm like, oh my God. I just had to pause for a moment just to let that sink in. I was like, thank you so much. It means a lot. It was really special to have him congratulate me, being the president of Lebanon. He’s also new as well. So I also congratulated him for being newly elected. It was a very cool moment.”

After Australia, Habib spent just two days at home with his family before travelling to Dubai for a one-week training block. He then went to Cairo to compete in the Davis Cup for Lebanon against Peru before accepting wildcards into the main draws of the ATP 500 tournaments in Doha and Dubai.

Competing at a Grand Slam and at these ATP events in the Middle East has allowed Habib to venture into new territory, sharing draws and locker rooms with the best tennis players on the planet. It has exposed him to a level of tennis he has been striving to reach, and to tournaments he had been dreaming of taking part in.

“It still feels new. I just need to let it sink in,” the Texas-born Lebanese said.

“It feels like you’ve been watching these tournaments growing up, and just seeing these guys play, and to be able to play in the same draw as them, like Novak (Djokovic) and all the players, it’s just a lot to sink in.

“I’m just really happy to be able to experience this level of tennis and to be around all these great players. Hopefully, I’ll get to that level. I'm working towards it.”

Habib lost his opening matches in Doha and Dubai, but considers this Middle East swing “a huge learning experience.”

His coach, Patricio Heras, has been encouraging him to keep things simple and stick to the fundamentals, even in the face of all these new challenges.

“I think that we need to be very open-minded to learning,” Heras told Arab News on Sunday.

“Not to focus on the things we don’t have yet, but on the things we can take from every match, from the players. All these players are new for us, so is being in these tournaments. We have to focus on learning and focusing on what they do good and try to imitate them, rather than think, ‘no, I don’t have this. No, no, let’s focus on the good things and be open-minded.”

The top tier of professional tennis can sometimes feel like an exclusive club that is difficult to break into.

Getting invited to compete in the ATP events in Doha and Dubai has given Habib a sneak peek into what he hopes will soon be his life on tour.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m the new guy here. I don’t really have any friends at this level. Everyone probably has their own circle and cult, so it’s difficult in a way because I’m trying to set up practices, and everyone’s already set,” Habib said.

“I end up hitting (with) my coach most of the time, but it’s a bit of a transition to get used to the new environment, the new players, and trying to get yourself in there in a way, trying to practice with them and stuff like that. It’s a learning experience. I’m trying to do the best I can to learn and try to eventually play these events as much as possible.”

Between winning a Challenger title in the very last week of tournaments in 2024, and his run to the Australian Open second round, as a qualifier, at the start of 2025, things have escalated quickly for Habib, who finds himself in search of new goals, now that his previous targets have been reached.

“One of my goals is to be in the top 100. Of course, that’s every tennis player’s dream, is to be able to be in that ranking, to play the main draw of the slams and get in all these big tournaments, but that’s my goal for now, to be in the top 100,” Habib said.

Heras has total belief in his charge’s potential, and says Habib’s professionalism is what sets him apart.

“He takes care of himself in a very professional way. He does the things he needs to do. He’s a very calm guy,” the Argentinian coach said.

“Sometimes it’s hard for him to explain what he’s going through and I think that sometimes it’s not good because he’s not expressing himself with me or with someone else. And he tries to manage everything by himself and it’s so tough to hold everything in. In some way he’s managing it and I think that is a really good part because it makes him a mature person.”

Heras added: “I think that, tennis-wise, he doesn’t have a ceiling. It’s everything in his mind and let’s see how far he can go. But I think that, tennis-wise, he has all the chances to be top 100, and even top 50, I would say. Not only because I trust him and I have confidence but because I can see from his practices, from the matches he’s playing during the tournaments. It’s really exciting.”


Carey says Australia excited by rare South Africa challenge in Rawalpindi

Updated 24 February 2025
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Carey says Australia excited by rare South Africa challenge in Rawalpindi

  • Australia chased down 352, the highest target in tournament history, against England in Lahore on Saturday
  • Carey made a brilliant 69 alongside man-of-the-match Josh Inglis, who scored his maiden one-day century

RAWALPINDI: Alex Carey said Australia are excited by the challenge posed by a formidable South Africa when they meet in the Champions Trophy for the first time in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
Australia, winners in 2006 and 2009, chased down 352, the highest target in tournament history, against England in Lahore in a Group B game on Saturday.
Carey made a brilliant 69 alongside man-of-the-match Josh Inglis, who scored his maiden one-day international hundred, to seal a five-wicket win.
South Africa overwhelmed Afghanistan by 107 runs in a clinical performance in Karachi.
“I think South Africa are playing really well in one-day cricket and look like they’ve got a great balance across their 11 players,” the 33-year-old Carey said on Monday.
“So, another exciting opportunity for us coming off the back of a great game against England, play with a lot of freedom, take the game on.”
Australia and South Africa have never met in the Champions Trophy, and the Proteas hold a clear advantage after winning nine of their past 12 ODIs against them.
Australia are also missing world-renowned pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
“Look, it’s an inexperienced bowling attack, there’s no hiding away from that. In and around that we’ve got some experience with our leg-spinner Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell,” Carey said.
The pace trio of Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis went for 171 runs for three wickets between them in 27 overs as England scored 351-8 in their 50 overs.
However, Carey backed a strong Australian batting line-up that includes Travis Head.
“We’ve got Steve Smith who’s a fantastic captain,” Carey said. “I think if we are to bat first throughout the tournament, I’ll back our boys to defend.”
“Travis will try to smack them at the top with Matthew Short. You’ve got Smith and Marnus (Labuschagne) through the middle and then hopefully set it up for Maxwell to go big at the end.
“We know they’re a great team... but I feel like our confidence is high and we’re really excited for tomorrow,” he said.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, with hosts Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand in Group A.


India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

Updated 24 February 2025
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India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

  • Champions Trophy clash in Dubai showed two teams moving in opposite directions
  • It was not until the 42nd over that a Pakistani batter hit a six, through Khushdil Shah

DUBAI: Living within a stone’s throw of the Dubai International Stadium, I was able to watch and experience how the atmosphere started to build before this eagerly awaited clash between India and Pakistan in the ICC Champions trophy.

More than three hours before the first ball was bowled, the horns started their familiar chorus. The rituals remained unchanged — the early pilgrimage to the stadium, the face paint, the flags. Despite this, something fundamental has changed in cricket’s most politicized rivalry. The match laid this truth bare.

What we witnessed was not a contest between two equals. Although this is still the message pumped out by the marketing machine and broadcasters continue to sell India against Pakistan as the game’s ultimate clash, the reality on the field tells a different story. In 36 C heat, we watched a stark display of two teams moving in opposing directions.

The demographic in the stands told its own story — a drowning sea of blue with mere patches of green. A visual metaphor for the competitive imbalance that has come to define these encounters. Even Pakistan’s supporters, who are usually defiant and vocal in even the toughest of times, sensed the inevitability of what was coming.

The match felt like a formality from the start. Pakistan’s approach was puzzling at best and self-destructive at worst. After losing Babar Azam early on, followed by Imam-ul-Haq, who ran himself out on his return to the team, the innings descended into an exercise of damage limitation. Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan needed to rebuild yet still try to be positive. It seemed they had a different plan altogether. Their lack of intent was so profound as to be puzzling. If they were trying to provide a basis for a late assault, then what should not happen is for them both to be dismissed in quick succession. This is exactly what happened.

Any hope of a challenging total vanished and Pakistan lost six wickets for 82 in less than 15 overs, setting India a modest total of 242 to chase.

India’s approach was the opposite of Pakistan’s. This brought the crowd alive and, for the first time, it felt that there were people in the stadium.

It was not until the 42nd over that a Pakistani batter hit a six, through Khushdil Shah. Rohit Sharma took only six balls to launch Naseem Shah for six. This was not just a shot, it was a pathological hammer blow, a statement that India no longer regards Pakistan as an equal but just another team to be dispatched.

Shubman Gill, the ICC’s new No. 1 ranked batter, had the crowd in awe of his classical shots, mixed with aggression. Even the Pakistani contingent clapped his majestic cover drives. Then came a vintage Virat Kohli performance. He played simple cricket against the spinners and attacked the seamers, saying afterwards: “I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs.”

India never left second gear because they never needed to and therein lies the problem. Rivalries require uncertainty. Both teams need to believe that they can win and, more importantly, they need both sets of fans to believe in the possibility of a victory. The Ashes have endured because, even when one team is stronger, the other always has the potential to retaliate. India against Australia captivates because both teams possess the ability to dominate.

India against Pakistan seems to have lost its edge on the field. The political tensions add edge to these encounters, but they can no longer mask the cricketing chasm that has opened up between the teams. We seem to be left with a rivalry running on nostalgia, fueled by memories of Miandad’s last-ball six in 1986 and Tendulkar’s uppercut off Shoaib Aktar’s bowling in 2003. Now, the contests are failing to create new moments worthy of that history.

The empty seats at the start of play would be unthinkable a decade ago for an India-Pakistan match. The crowd never reached its traditional fever pitch for such a match as it has become too one sided and predictable. “Men against boys,” was the sentiment being bandied about in the stands. It is hard to argue with that assessment. India’s victory felt inevitable from the moment Shakeel was caught in the deep. This is not the stuff of which great rivalries are made. They should make your heart race. They should keep you on the edge of your seat. They should make you believe in miracles.

There were no miracles, no edge-of-seat moments, no heart-racing finishes. Just the methodical dismantling of one team by another, executed with clinical efficiency that speaks of a rivalry in name only.

Perhaps it is time to be honest about what India versus Pakistan has become — a historical rivalry whose greatness now resides more in the past than the present. While the political undertones ensure these matches will always carry extra significance, the on-field contest has lost its competitive soul. For this rivalry to reclaim its place at cricket’s summit, Pakistan needs to rediscover its swagger, its intent and, most importantly, its belief. Until then, we are left with echoes of what once was, memories being played out to an increasingly indifferent audience.

The result has put India on the brink of a semi-final and Pakistan on the brink of elimination. Mathematically, there is a chance but, if New Zealand beat Bangladesh, it would mean that Pakistan becomes the first team to be ousted from the tournament, after only two matches. This will be a bitter blow. Pakistan’s return to hosting an ICC tournament will end in deep disappointment, after the high hopes which had built up.

Cricket in Pakistan has been badly buffeted from all angles in recent years. This latest defeat by India will serve only to make life in the eye of the storm even more uncomfortable.


India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

Updated 24 February 2025
Follow

India’s inevitable win over Pakistan reveals a rivalry running on empty

  • ICC Champions Trophy clash in Dubai showed two teams moving in opposite directions

DUBAI: Living within a stone’s throw of the Dubai International Stadium, I was able to watch and experience how the atmosphere started to build before this eagerly awaited clash between India and Pakistan in the ICC Champions trophy.

More than three hours before the first ball was bowled, the horns started their familiar chorus. The rituals remained unchanged — the early pilgrimage to the stadium, the face paint, the flags. Despite this, something fundamental has changed in cricket’s most politicized rivalry. The match laid this truth bare.

What we witnessed was not a contest between two equals. Although this is still the message pumped out by the marketing machine and broadcasters continue to sell India against Pakistan as the game’s ultimate clash, the reality on the field tells a different story. In 36 C heat, we watched a stark display of two teams moving in opposing directions.

The demographic in the stands told its own story — a drowning sea of blue with mere patches of green. A visual metaphor for the competitive imbalance that has come to define these encounters. Even Pakistan’s supporters, who are usually defiant and vocal in even the toughest of times, sensed the inevitability of what was coming.

The match felt like a formality from the start. Pakistan’s approach was puzzling at best and self-destructive at worst. After losing Babar Azam early on, followed by Imam-ul-Haq, who ran himself out on his return to the team, the innings descended into an exercise of damage limitation. Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan needed to rebuild yet still try to be positive. It seemed they had a different plan altogether. Their lack of intent was so profound as to be puzzling. If they were trying to provide a basis for a late assault, then what should not happen is for them both to be dismissed in quick succession. This is exactly what happened.

Any hope of a challenging total vanished and Pakistan lost six wickets for 82 in less than 15 overs, setting India a modest total of 242 to chase.

India’s approach was the opposite of Pakistan’s. This brought the crowd alive and, for the first time, it felt that there were people in the stadium.

It was not until the 42nd over that a Pakistani batter hit a six, through Khushdil Shah. Rohit Sharma took only six balls to launch Naseem Shah for six. This was not just a shot, it was a pathological hammer blow, a statement that India no longer regards Pakistan as an equal but just another team to be dispatched.

Shubman Gill, the ICC’s new No. 1 ranked batter, had the crowd in awe of his classical shots, mixed with aggression. Even the Pakistani contingent clapped his majestic cover drives. Then came a vintage Virat Kohli performance. He played simple cricket against the spinners and attacked the seamers, saying afterwards: “I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs.”

India never left second gear because they never needed to and therein lies the problem. Rivalries require uncertainty. Both teams need to believe that they can win and, more importantly, they need both sets of fans to believe in the possibility of a victory. The Ashes have endured because, even when one team is stronger, the other always has the potential to retaliate. India against Australia captivates because both teams possess the ability to dominate.

India against Pakistan seems to have lost its edge on the field. The political tensions add edge to these encounters, but they can no longer mask the cricketing chasm that has opened up between the teams. We seem to be left with a rivalry running on nostalgia, fueled by memories of Miandad’s last-ball six in 1986 and Tendulkar’s uppercut off Shoaib Aktar’s bowling in 2003. Now, the contests are failing to create new moments worthy of that history.

The empty seats at the start of play would be unthinkable a decade ago for an India-Pakistan match. The crowd never reached its traditional fever pitch for such a match as it has become too one sided and predictable. “Men against boys,” was the sentiment being bandied about in the stands. It is hard to argue with that assessment. India’s victory felt inevitable from the moment Shakeel was caught in the deep. This is not the stuff of which great rivalries are made. They should make your heart race. They should keep you on the edge of your seat. They should make you believe in miracles.

There were no miracles, no edge-of-seat moments, no heart-racing finishes. Just the methodical dismantling of one team by another, executed with clinical efficiency that speaks of a rivalry in name only.

Perhaps it is time to be honest about what India versus Pakistan has become — a historical rivalry whose greatness now resides more in the past than the present. While the political undertones ensure these matches will always carry extra significance, the on-field contest has lost its competitive soul. For this rivalry to reclaim its place at cricket’s summit, Pakistan needs to rediscover its swagger, its intent and, most importantly, its belief. Until then, we are left with echoes of what once was, memories being played out to an increasingly indifferent audience.

The result has put India on the brink of a semi-final and Pakistan on the brink of elimination. Mathematically, there is a chance but, if New Zealand beat Bangladesh, it would mean that Pakistan becomes the first team to be ousted from the tournament, after only two matches. This will be a bitter blow. Pakistan’s return to hosting an ICC tournament will end in deep disappointment, after the high hopes which had built up.

Cricket in Pakistan has been badly buffeted from all angles in recent years. This latest defeat by India will serve only to make life in the eye of the storm even more uncomfortable.


Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink

Updated 24 February 2025
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Kohli, Rohit ‘have a lot of cricket left’ after sending Pakistan to brink

  • Kohli hit 51st ODI century on Sunday as India beat Pakistan by six wickets in Champions Trophy clash
  • Kohli, 36, and Rohit, 37, have struggled since retiring from T20 internationals after last year's World Cup win

DUBAI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have “a lot of cricket left in them,” former India opener and Champions Trophy winner Shikhar Dhawan says, adding that the mere presence of the veteran duo can unsettle any opposition.
Kohli hit an unbeaten 100 on Sunday, his 51st ODI century, as India swept aside Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai to stand on the cusp of the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals.
Pakistan, who are hosting all of the games except those involving India, are on the brink of elimination after their second defeat of the tournament.
Rohit made a quickfire 20 at the top of the innings as India went after 242 for victory and Kohli took charge after the captain’s exit to steer the team home with 45 balls to spare.
Kohli, 36, and Rohit, 37, have struggled for form since retiring from T20 internationals after last year’s World Cup win, with speculation swirling that they could soon retire.
But Kohli rolled back the years with his first ODI century since November 2023.
“Virat standing on the crease, his presence is big. The opposition have fear in them,” said Dhawan, who is in Dubai as a tournament ambassador.
Kohli went past 14,000 ODI runs early in his innings, becoming only the third batsman to achieve the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
Rohit struck form with a century in India’s 3-0 home sweep of England earlier this month and hit a 36-ball 41 in India’s opening win over Bangladesh.
“Recently Rohit scored an amazing century, but it’s not about a century or half-century,” said Dhawan, a swashbuckling opener who played his last ODI in 2022 and won the Champions Trophy in 2013.
“Today Rohit played a quick 20 runs, that also carries value. He created that fearless environment for the whole team,” he added.
“He’s got a great impact in early overs in today’s cricket.
“Things have changed, so now it’s good to take that risk and play aerial shots.
“We used to see it only in T20 cricket but now we see it in 50-over cricket.
“The Pakistan batsmen did not play any aerial shots, but Rohit came and took that risk, which played in India’s favor.”
Pressed on the futures of Rohit and Kohli, Dhawan said: “They have a lot of cricket left in them.”
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took a crucial 3-40 to peg back Pakistan, hailed man-of-the-match Kohli.
“There is only one big player in the team and that is Virat ‘bhai’ (brother), who played a brilliant innings,” Kuldeep said.
“Hope that I can continue performing well,” added the left-arm wrist spinner, who recently returned after hernia surgery.
“Obviously if you play good cricket, stick around with good players, and you know you have a good team with two senior players who are greats.”