Virat Kohli was under the pump heading into the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The former India skipper had got just 250 runs in 12 innings in Test cricket before the first Test.
In fact, the home season saw him get a mere 192 runs in 10 innings with just one fifty. Kohli’s troubles continued in the first innings when he was dismissed for just 5. His adamance of playing on the front foot brought a lot of criticism as Kohli edged a rising delivery to first slip off Josh Hazlewood on the first day.
The swords were out and the pressure mounted even more. However, the 36-year-old bounced back in style and notched up his 30th Test hundred in the second innings. He did come in with a great platform set by the openers but Kohli ensured India drove home the advantage.
The India No. 4 looked fluent throughout his 143-ball stay at the crease. His unbeaten 100 helped India extend their lead past 450 and 500, batting Australia out of the game. This was Kohli’s first international ton of 2024. His last Test ton came back in July 2023 and hence, it was a major landmark for India’s most experienced batter.
It was Kohli’s 7th hundred in Australia. This is his fifth tour to Australia and barring the 2020-21 tour where he played just one Test (he got 74), the India No. 4 has got a hundred on each of the other Australian tours.
Jasprit Bumrah who was the captain in place of the absent Rohit Sharma in Perth was all praise for Kohli. The ace India fast bowler said that it is the Indian team that needs Kohli and his experience. He backed Kohli despite his low returns as he believes sometimes playing in tough conditions can hamper your scores.
“I’ve said this before, Virat Kohli doesn’t need us, we need him. He’s an experienced player. This is his fourth or fifth tour. He knows his cricket better than anyone else. He looked in good shape and was mentally switched on. Sometimes when you have such a long career, you bat in tough conditions and he has batted in tough scenarios for a long time. But it’s difficult to do that all the time. He got a good delivery in the first innings but he was still in a great space and capitalised in the second innings,” Jasprit Bumrah was quoted saying in the press conference at the end of the first Test in Perth.
Bumrah pleased with Kohli and the way he helped his partners
“We needed an experienced batter then. He [Kohli] played well and helped his partners play well. When he gets confidence at the start of a series, you can’t ask for more,” Bumrah added.
Kohli’s average in Australia has now gone up to 56.03. With conditions expected to continue to be tricky in Adelaide and Brisbane in the coming two Test matches, his form will be the key. However, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill likely to return for the second Test in Adelaide which starts on the 6th of December, India’s batting is suddenly looking in great shape.
