Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar has praised Virat Kohli for his magnificent effort with the bat during the first Test against England at Edgbaston. Virat fought adversity and produced two very fine knocks of 149 and 51 in both innings of the game, while the rest of his teammates either showed signs of deficiency in technique or looked short of the confidence and this, Sanjay said, sets Virat Kohli apart and makes him an exceptional cricketer. 

Speaking in a debate at the occasion of MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture alongside ICC CEO David Richardson, England cricketer Jason Roy and Australian commentator Mark Nicholas, Manjrekar said that it is Virat's unwavering belief in his own abilities that makes him the player that he is. 

He said, "Even among Indian greats now, he’s (Kohli) finding a special place. It’s amazing. You talk about dirty Varanasi waters, but Indian waters keep producing these kind of phenomenal batting talents, year after year, generation after generation. Sunil Gavaskar quit in 1987. We had Tendulkar two years later, in 1989. And as he was winding up his long career, here comes Virat Kohli.”

“Where I find him different from other batting greats is his self-belief, his self-confidence, I remember he averaged 13 (13.4) the last time he was year in England. The very next Test match was in Adelaide, and he walked out like he was king of Adelaide.", Sanjay further added, “His self-confidence doesn’t dip, it takes a lot for that to take a beating. That makes him special. The other thing is his fitness. I think he’s the fittest, greatest batsman.”

(Inputs fromCricketnext)