Ind vs Eng 2021: Not in any haste or desperation to score a hundred – Virat Kohli

 

The Indian skipper Virat Kohli last scored a century back in 2019 in the pink-ball Test match against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Since then, Kohli hasn’t touched three-digits, which has been a rare phenomenon in his career. In fact, 2020 was the first calendar year in Kohli’s career since his debut in 2008 that he wasn’t able to notch up an international hundred.

Kohli has scored a total of 70 International centuries but he has to wait for his 71st hundred. However, the talisman is not bothered by the same and squashed any speculations of scoring a desperate hundred.

Kohli stated that he believes in contributing to the team’s success and if the milestones come his way, he takes them with both hands. The Indian captain added that the success of the team is of paramount importance to him when he is representing the national team.

In fact, it hasn’t been the case that Kohli has been in bad form but the three figures have deserted him. Kohli had scored a fine knock of 74 in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide against Australia. He then scored 72 in the second innings of the first Test against England whereas he batted beautifully in the second innings of the second Test when he scored a gutsy knock of 62 runs in the arduous conditions at Chepauk.

However, Kohli is always being compared with himself, and his 172 runs in five innings at 34.40 is a sub-par performance.

“I am not in any haste or any desperation because I understand where I stand as a batsman, how I am playing, what my responsibility in the team is.” 

“They (critics) look at milestones. If the team doesn’t do well, they look at the captaincy. If the team does well and batsmen don’t perform, they look at individual scores. So, for me, these are just issues oscillating between one and another.” 

He further added in this regard: “My responsibility as the captain of the Indian cricket team and as a batsman is to score runs. I will make sure I keep pushing the team forward and get involved in partnerships. Along that process, if milestones happen, great. If they don’t, the team should win. At the end of the day, that’s our main goal, that’s always been.” 

Kohli will look to turn the tables in the last Test of the series and most importantly take the team to the final of the ICC World Test Championship. The Indian skipper has done a fine job as a leader and he also leapfrogged former captain MS Dhoni’s record of most wins in the home conditions.

The fourth Test match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad from March 4.