'I like playing in pressure situations'

Battler Kohli strokes his way to maiden Test hundred on Indian soil

Various attributes of Virat Kohli like his composure, maturity and positive outlook have been well documented since his arrival at the international cricket. Now, we can add one more quality to that ever-swelling list – adaptability.

Kohli and Suresh Raina joined forces on Saturday when India were at a wobbly 80 for four during the second Test at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, and for a man who’s playing only his 10th Test, Kohli showed amazing adjustment – mentally and technically.

The 93 that he converted into his second Test hundred on Sunday morning was the epitome of his ability to adapt.

The first hundred in Adelaide in January early this year came when he had nothing to lose, and India too were on the brink of a defeat. And this is not to diminish the importance of that debut hundred, a defining innings indeed it was, and also one that instilled tons of belief in his mind.

But here, the case was different from Adelaide. India were struggling against a persistent Kiwi attack, and a flop show would have allowed them an early peek at India’s tail, and there was a lot of expectations on Kohli to deliver after his wonderful run in ODIs throughout this year, notching up a clutch of hundreds.

Kohli, however, batted as if India have a mountain of a total on the board, his face or movements never for once deceived his nerves. So does he relish pressure situations?

“I like playing in pressure situations. There, the bowler attacks you more and you have more opportunity to score runs. And even the situation I went in to bat, it was really important for the team to come out of that. I’m fortunate that I could be that guy for the team,” Kohli said.

What makes his progress in Test cricket all the more remarkable is the fact that he bats at number three in ODIs, a position that demands a different mindset.

In Tests, he comes at number five, and often he needs to pad up and wait for his turn for a longer period than in the limited over version.

“The mindset that you need is very different if you’re batting in the top 3. The top 3 you know that you’re ready to go in. But being in the middle order is a bit different. You might be in at the 10th over or you might come in at 200 for 3.

“Being padded up, you need to concentrate for long hours before going in to bat. It could be a tricky situation but I’ll learn along the way as how to manage my time off the field when there’s a partnership going on.”

Now, let’s hear how much he adapted technically.

“In the first Test I thought I played too many attacking shots. It was bit difficult to adapt there because we were playing a Test match after some seven months, and we didn’t have any practice game as well. Also in Hyderabad, my bat went instinctively for some shots, but it wasn’t my intention to play the ball.

“So, I worked on it for this game. I thought that they will bowl in the areas that I have got out before. So, like I did in Australia, I let the bowler come to me. I thought I’ll leave the ball more and defend more. That worked in my favour here.”