The first of the three-match Test series against New Zealand in Bengaluru saw a mix of both happy and sad moments for the Indian cricket team. But, one of the most inspiring moments for them was how Virat Kohli, their former captain and one of the most vital batters in the side, got back into the runs and spent some time in the middle.
It was just the fourth red-ball game for Virat Kohli in this ongoing year, as he missed the five-match red-ball series at home due to personal reasons. He struggled in the opening game of the series against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai before showing his class in the second game at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.
Just like most of the other Indian batters, the Delhi-born also found it hard to survive on the wet surface of Bengaluru. William O’Rourke, the hit the deck bowler, with his pacer and height, bounced out the batter behind the wicket for a duck.
Virat Kohli showed positive batting in 1st Test match- Former RCB opener responds
The second inning was always going to be critical for the batter. The home side was behind more than 300 runs going into the bat. Even though they had a good start thanks to the opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, two consecutive wickets again put the pressure back on them.
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Virat Kohli, walking at number three for the game in the absence of injured Shubman Gill, looked focused from the start as he drilled a boundary through the covers to get back the required confidence. One of the hallmarks of his batting in the Test was how calmly he countered the pacers and spinners and never got afraid of using the feet.
The veteran also became the fourth Indian batter, along with Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rahul Dravid to reach over 9000 runs in the longest format of the game. The 136-run stand for the fourth wicket between him and Sarfaraz Khan rescued the ship from a potentially struggling period.
Virat Kohli smashed 70 runs in 102 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries and one six at a strike rate of nearly 70. The highlight of his batting was how he ran those singles and doubles to put the pressure back on the opponents.
The former wicket-keeper batter of the national side, Parthiv Patel, reckoned that the half-century from the 36-year-old was one of the positives for India going into the second Test of the series.
“It was extremely necessary for Virat Kohli to spend time in the middle. You said it correctly, he had not played Test cricket for a long time. He didn’t play in the England series and didn’t get that much opportunity against Bangladesh.” Parthiv Patel responded during a discussion on Colors Cineplex while dissecting the Test match.
The former left-handed opening batter has also added that even the greatest of the players, no matter whether it had been Virat Kohli or not, would need matches under their belt to get their rhythm back.
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“There is no doubt that he is a very big player. However, no matter how big a player you might be, you need to play matches to get your rhythm. So while he was looking slightly scratchy in the Bangladesh series, he was looking confident here.” The Gujarat-born noted.
Virat Kohli took his time for the first 15 to 20 deliveries, especially when he was facing Ajaz Patel, the left-arm spinner.
“Once he got set, and he is such a big player that once he hits one or two shots, like the cover drive he played, the confidence comes,” Patel concluded, as the second Test will begin on October 24 in Pune.