Sydney, Feb 10: With eight tons and 19 half-centuries from 76 ODIs, Virat Kohli is emerging as a key player in the India line-up. The middle-order bat is also a livewire fielder who can bowl a few overs if required.
One of the most improved batsmen in the past year, Virat has been appreciated by experts for his growth and perseverance. The agile cricketer scored 77 runs in India’s run chase as they beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in the second ODI of the ongoing CB series.
The latest to acknowledge Kohli’s skill and progress is former Australian batsman Michael Slater. "The thing that impresses me about Kohli is his technique. If you look at all the upcoming batsmen in the world, they have techniques for Twenty20 cricket and not Tests," Slater was quoted as saying by an English daily.
The former opener added, "The way Kohli goes back and across should be the foundation of batting, but nowadays youngsters stay besides the ball to open the shots on the off side."
In the recently concluded four-Test Border-Gavaskar series that India lost 0-4, the youngster was the only Indian to score a century. His technique and ability to negotiate the fast ball was under fire until the 23-year-old scored a 75 at Perth followed by 116 at Adelaide. Until his impressive innings in the fourth Test against Australia, Kohli was pegged as batsman more suited to the shorter version of the game.
"I have watched a lot of him on TV in ODI cricket, and the Indian media is constantly behind his inability to play the short ball. But as the tour progressed, he has looked more comfortable. That means he's learning quickly, which is great for India," the cricketer turned commentator added.
Virat’s innings in the ODI against Sri Lanka was impeded by a bout of cramps.
"Let's hope he is fit for the next game. He has the potential to score lots of runs in this series," Slater signed off saying.
