Indian skipper Virat Kohli was racing towards 100 international centuries by scoring 70 hundreds in the first 11 years of his career. But at the moment, the wait for his 71st international century has stretched beyond a year and a half.
The last time Kohli scored a century in international cricket was back in 2019 in India’s inaugural pink-ball Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata.
Former India women's team captain Anjum Chopra tried to decode the right-hander's batting game.
“I think he is trying too hard. I feel he is trying very, very hard to be error-free. He knows he has got the game and the temperament, but when you focus too much, sometimes you tend to falter. I just feel he is making a slight error in judgment,” Chopra told India Today.
“But I don't blame him. When the competition is so much when you're trying to be error-free in a contest between two cricketing nations, India and England.”
“And then there is a James Andeson who is up against the Indian captain. And there is a lot of chatter. Even if you don't read the news, you know which bowler has dismissed you many times. Anderson has got the better of him and he knows he is up for a contest,” she added.
Anjum Chorpa then pointed out that not being able to reach the three-figure mark is quite natural and happens to every cricketer.
“On the other hand, it's pretty natural. It's not happened because it's Virat Kohli, it happens to everyone. It's happening with Cheteshwar Pujara, it happened with Ajinkya Rahane also -- being cautious and very careful,” the 44-year-old said.
Even though the three-figure mark has eluded Kohli, he has looked in good touch. The left-hand batter also thinks the same as she highlighted some classy shots from the Delhi-based cricketer’s 42-run knock at Lord’s.
“I am sure he knows the remedy as well. He has got to play the ball and not the bowler. Just play the one-ball game. We always tell ourselves as batters that we need to focus on one ball, you have to make sure you are focussed on the fraction of second the bowler delivers the ball,” she said.
“It's just about being in the present. So it's all about keeping it simple and following the basics. That 42 (at Lord's) was good. Those cover drives, those pushes, those were perfect shots,” the cricketer-turned-commentator concluded.
Thus, with India going 1-0 up after a historic win at Lord’s, it will be exciting to see how the Indian captain goes about in the upcoming third Test against Headingley in Leeds slated to begin from Wednesday (25 August).
(With India Today Inputs)
