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An innings that reflected inner steel

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Kohli's century showed he has, apart from his obvious talent, the gumption too

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

SATISFYING KNOCK:Virat Kohli's innings was a reflection of his ability to drop anchor and accelerate at will.

Visakhapatnam: The exaggerated punch in the air and the attempted leap symbolised relief and ecstasy.

During those special seconds after notching up his match-winning hundred that derailed Australia here on Wednesday night, Virat Kohli momentarily forgot that his legs were quivering with pain.

The 21-year-old's remarkable 118 is a knock that will surely acquire a mythical status in his mind, many years down the line.

The last few months have not been easy for Kohli as his trips to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup and the tri-series saw him on a batting slump.

Marked for greatness

For a player marked for greater glory since leading India under-19 to a World Cup triumph in Malaysia in 2008, a mere 112 runs from his last seven games meant that he was just a bad knock or two away from being put away in cold storage.

Seen in that context, and considering the match situation, Kohli's ton reflected inner steel, which is a welcome addition to his obvious talent.

“This innings was very satisfying because in the last two series I didn't perform well.

“There are three to four guys fighting for one spot in the team. But that is a good thing because it shows our bench strength,” Kohli said.

It must have been doubly sweet for Kohli as his century came against a team that had nudged him aside during last year's ODI series in India.

Kohli had then scored 30 and 10 to lose his way, and that had prompted his skipper at Royal Challengers Bangalore Anil Kumble to advise discretion in shot-selection through his column.

Wake-up call

The omission from the team for the ICC World Twenty20 at the West Indies proved to be a wake-up call and that goaded Kohli to firm up his feet.

That Kohli was in introspection mode was evident a few months back, when he said: “During the first IPL, I was probably a spoilt kid and now I realise the importance of coming back into the Indian team.”

On Wednesday night, Kohli said: “I have tried to learn from my mistakes and to capitalise on the opportunities. You tend to fail sometimes but it is a part of you going ahead as an international cricketer.

“You've got to prepare yourself really well to give yourself the best chance to perform.”

A lifeline, perhaps

His latest innings, which perhaps has thrown him a lifeline in these crucial months leading to the World Cup, was a reflection of his ability to drop anchor and accelerate at will.

He was willing to subjugate his individual flair during those phases when Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina dominated.

And when his legs cramped, he continued to play with a steady hand though understandably the feet were not in sync.

Describing his third ODI hundred, Kohli said: “I was not hitting the gaps early in my innings but I decided to stick there and get myself in.

“Obviously, if you are chasing under pressure and the target is huge and if you make a big score it gives you a really good feeling and having someone like Yuvraj at the other end helped.”

Role models

Kohli's talent was never in doubt but in these days of instant fame and perennial distractions, the youngster will do well to dwell upon the work ethic of two men — Kumble and Rahul Dravid — whom he has observed closely during his stint with RCB.

“I don't believe that my place has been cemented in the team. I have to keep performing consistently,” Kohli said.

This awareness will help him stay grounded while he dreams about shaping more Indian victories and also increase his tally of 1,245 ODI runs.

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