While the other batters struggled to score runs, India’s talisman Virat Kohli looked imperious against New Zealand in the first ODI in Auckland. On a pitch offering tennis-ball bounce, Kohli consistently got on top of it and timed the ball to perfection. Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri said that a 51-ball 74-run innings was worth a century.
“A 70 in conditions like these is worth a hundred. He never got ahead of himself throughout the innings. And when he stays in fourth gear like this, then God help you. When the youngsters in the dressing room watch him and how he still gets angry at getting out at 38, they’ll understand they have work to do,” Ravi Shastri said about the knock on Sony Sports.
“He also took a lot of pressure off Shubman Gill at the other end. He gets off strike so quickly that the pressure is on the bowler at all times. I’ve seen him for all those years and I can’t tell you if he has batted better,” he added.
Kohli will play Vijay Hazare
While Delhi has struggled in the Ranji Trophy, head coach Vijay Dahiya is already dreaming of reinforcements ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which begins on December 14. Virat Kohli is the name at the top of his wishlist.
“If he wants to play, I would love to have him in the dressing room! I will chew his brains out to tell these guys about hard work, work ethic, and what it takes to reach where he is today. Here’s someone who has come through the exact same ranks,” Dahiya told reporters at the Air Force Complex Ground in Palam on Thursday, after Delhi played out a draw against Services.
The Indian Express had previously reported that former India captain Rohit Sharma informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) of his availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy following the conclusion of India’s three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, scheduled from December 13 to 19.
