India field coach T Dilip praised former captain Virat Kohli’s fitness after the batsman reached 121 on Day 2 of the ongoing Second Test against West Indies here at Queen’s Park Oval. Virat Kohli played in his 500th international match and scored his first overseas century for India since 2018. Kohli, who resumed on 87 on day two of the second Test match against the West Indies, completed an impeccable hundred to bring his Test hundreds tally with Sir Donald Bradman.
Kohli made 121 from 206 balls that also contained 11 boundaries.
Dilip said Kohli continues to set the bar high when it comes to fielding and fitness, and the juniors benefit from his example.
“He does what he says when it comes to fitness,” Dilip said at a post-game press conference.
“It mostly comes down to his discipline and how he takes care of himself. It’s been 10 years and he’s the most attacking outfield player. It rubs off on the youngsters well. Everyone looks up to him – not just our team, but everyone in the world – a person like him, running around and attacking the ball so well,” he added.
India’s field coach thinks that the batsman picked up where he left off in the first game. When Kohli attempted to single out his own shot and was driven out by Alzarri Joseph’s throw from square leg, he was eventually dismissed for 121 runs off 206 balls.
“A big part of a player is how consistent he scores. He has continued his form from the last game so far,” said Dilip.
“He didn’t start off with flamboyant drives right away. He had to grind like he did in the first game. His application was fantastic, at the same time his temperament on that wicket… there were periods when the West Indies bowlers got good and he respected them.
Dilip is optimistic that the surface will become a little more forgiving, allowing Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to work their magic with the ball. However, he is pleased with the way they have shown their abilities to deal with bats, which has further increased the team’s depth.
“If you look at Ashwin and Jadeja, everyone around the world knows them for their bowling achievements. But if you see lately, especially Jadeja, he has improved his batting a lot that he now bats at number 6,” said Dilip.
“That’s a fantastic sign for India as it gives a great combination. Ashwin always has that temperament and application to score runs. Having these two together gives us an advantage not only in bowling but also in batting,” added India’s batting coach.
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