‘I don’t think he’s at his pure best, but drought is over’: Mark Waugh on Virat Kohli’s century
Former Australia batsman Mark Waugh feels that Virat Kohli is still not at his “pure best” but during his knock of 186 he showed his class and determination.
“The drought’s over. The gates have opened,” former Australian batter Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
“You could tell right from the get-go he meant business. He played very few risky shots.
“He was so patient, just picked the bowling off.
“I don’t think he’s at his pure best at the moment, as far as his Test career is concerned … but it just shows you his class.”
It took Kohli 24 matches, 42 innings and 1205 days to score his 28th Test century. Kohli’s last test hundred came against Bangladesh in November 2019. Kohli got to his 75th international hundred off 241 balls, the second slowest test hundred in terms of balls faced.
After the Indore Test, Waugh had said Kohli is batting well and a century is just around the corner.
“I cannot believe a player of his class has gone that long without a hundred. He’s a world-class player and I feel like a hundred is just around the corner for him,” Waugh had said.
A conversation full of calmness, respect & inspiration written all over it! 😊 🙌
A special post series-win chat with #TeamIndia Head Coach Rahul Dravid & @imVkohli at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad 👍 👍 – @RajalArora
FULL INTERVIEW 🔽 #INDvAUShttps://t.co/nF0XfltRg2 pic.twitter.com/iHU1jZ1CKG
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 14, 2023
Virat Kohli has lauded Australia’s gameplan of bowling with a 7-2 field and credits his physical fitness for his marathon 186 in the fourth Test.
“I think the Australian, whatever the little help was there in the wicket I think they utilised it really well. Their consency to bowl in the little rough was created through Mitchell Starc’s bowling for Nathan Lyon and the other off-spinner (Todd Murphy) as well. They capitalised on it really well. The fact that they put 7-2 field most of the time for me. It meant that I have to be patient and trust my defence and that’s the template I have already played with in Test cricket,” Kohli told head coach Rahul Dravid in a chat on BCCI.TV.
At one point in his knock, he had faced 162 deliveries without hitting a boundary, but the batter was unfazed about it and said he is happy to not score a single boundary in a session.
“I am pretty happy scoring 30 runs in a session and not hitting a boundary and absolutely not be desperate because I know that boundaries will come and even if I have to play like this I can bat six sessions and get a 150. I have no issue doing that,” he said.
