24 Tests, 42 innings and 1205 days, that is the time it has taken between Kohli’s 27th and 28th Test hundred. The average plummeted from a wonderful 54.97 to 48.12. A hundred is special no matter the format but a Test hundred is much more valuable because of the value it carries. Wherever he went, he was reminded of that elusive hundred, be it the hotel lobby or the spectators. The media was constantly harping on the lack of hundreds and justifiably so. The drought extended to uncomfortable length and when it was broken, it came as a huge relief not just for Kohli but for an entire nation. The Virat Kohli Test Hundred.
Mark Waugh for his part said, “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,” he had said. Kohli himself admitted in a candid chat with Rahul Dravid that the thought of not scoring a hundred for such a longtime was eating him up.
The 71st century too took sometime to come but once it was scored, Kohli has now scored 5 in rather quick time. Media has again started to speculate whether Kohli will be able to surpass Tendulkar’s all-time record of 100 international hundreds but that needs to wait. He still has a long way to achieve that and there are far more important games coming up least of which is the WTC finals.
A mellowed down Kohli
The one pleasant change in Kohli reaching an important milestone was how he reacted to the achievement. The Kohli of yesteryears would have ripped his helmet, roared like a lion with lots and lots of swear words thrown in. The Kohli as of now is a much more mellowed version. It was really nice to see Kohli just remove his helmet, smile and raise the bat to the thunderous applause of the Ahmedabad crowd. He was young then and all the intervening years must have made him somewhat circumspect. Would it be possible that he was deprived of captaincy, has had an effect on his change in attitude? Could be.
Kohli’s extended run
Few months ago, Kohli addressed the century drought with a hundred against Afghanistan in his least favourite format and he followed that up with hundreds in ODIs. Though all of these 100s provided sort of relief for the Indian fans, it is a Test hundred that settled nerves. I usually do not celebrate individual achievements. For me, it does not really matter who has performed as long as the team wins but I found myself instinctively applauding a much deserved century.
Kohli has done things for the Indian team that just a couple of have over the entire history. It is no mean feat to average more than 50 in all the formats. It has eluded the likes of Smith, Root & Williamson, Kohli’s fellow greats of the current time. When others around him were dropped at some point in time, Kohli was persisted with despite multiple failures. An average of just above 24 over a 3 years period just does not do justice to his run making ability. It was because of the incredible service that he has done for the Indian team.
Every Indian willed him to get to a double this despite the fact that overs were being taken away because of slow batting due to a difficult pitch. However, this is for Kohli and for his yeoman service. Hence, it wasn’t wrong for any Indian to put an individual above the team just for a moment.
Does a hundred really matter?
The hundred is just a number. However, batsmen the world over knows that it is measure based on which they are judged. Lack of a century gets into their heads, affects their thinking and by extension their game. Now that the pressure is off his back, it is time for Kohli of the old to return.
Watching Kohli progress towards his hundred on Sunday, felt like an experience from the past. India began day three with a deficit of 191, and with one of their middle-order batters laid low by a bad back. Jadeja fell with a further 170 to equal Australia’s score. Only Ashwin and Axar are left for company. Under such circumstances, there was no way that Kohli would take undue risks and there was little chance of Australia’s bowlers giving him an inch. Kohli waited and waited and waited furthermore. He collected his runs in singles and the occasional boundary. With Kohli batting time, the chances of an Australian win evaporated ever so slowly.
Wrapping up the Virat Kohli Test Hundred
Kohli can relax now. The much elusive century is here and a mammoth one at that. There are bigger challenges coming up. Having scored a century in every format over the last 6 months, Kohli’s thoughts must move onto enabling India to win the WTC and ODI World Cup. It is something that eluded him as a captain but it is something that he will love to be part of as his career winds down to a close.
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