Ind vs Aus: Virat Kohli Opens Up on His 28th Test Century

It is often said that “from a hard day’s work, comes a better tomorrow” and this is what describes the journey of Virat Kohli in the last 3 years. India’s chase master lost his touch after covid but he was constantly working hard, rectifying his mistakes but there was a point in his career, where no matter what he did, it wouldn’t work. However, tough people last, tough times don’t. A much-needed break from cricket before the Asia Cup came as a blessing in disguise for Virat Kohli.

It wasn’t magic that things would give back to how they were. Runs started coming back for Virat Kohli in the Asia Cup with his first T20I century. From being criticized for his slow T20 performances to finishing the highest run-scorer T20 World Cup in Australia, things were looking good. Despite all this, Kohli’s inability to play spinners made it extremely difficult for him to bring the same touch in the test format. Bangladesh test series and then throughout the Border-Gavaskar trophy, barring one 44 runs knock in Delhi, it was a no-show.

I am not a guy who is happy with 40 and 45s: Virat Kohli

It was then Virat Kohli reached his much-awaited 28th test century. The innings started with Kohli looking a bit uncomfortable but it was soon he got the hang of the wicket. Toiling hard for nearly two days, facing 364 deliveries with only 15 fours, it was a long show of patience and determination that eventually was reflected in the runs he made. A subtle celebration and a sense of relief took over Virat Kohli. The game ended in a draw but the player was given the player of the match for his contribution with the bat.

Reflecting on his innings with head coach Rahul Dravid, Kohli explained how difficult it was for him to get out after starting well. “To be honest, I let the complications grow on me a little bit because of my own shortcomings. The flip side to it is I am not a guy who is happy with 40 and 45s. When I am batting on 40, I know I can get a 150 here and that will help my team. That was eating me up a lot. I always took pride in the fact that when the team needed me, I would step up and perform in different conditions in difficult situations. The fact that I wasn’t able to do that was something that was bothering me,” Virat Kohli said.

The Indian team defeated Australia in the Border-Gavaskar trophy by 2-1. Pat Cummins was unavailable for the last 2 tests and will not come to India for the ODI series either owing to his mother’s demise. Steve Smith will take charge of the team in the 3-match ODI series. The first game will be on March 17 in Mumbai.