Chennai: Only a few players like MS Dhoni can score a double hundred in a Test match with an amazing strike rate (nearly 85 percent), feels his younger team mate Virat Kohli.
“Only a few players are there in the world who can do that,” Kohli, who scored his fourth Test century on the day was lavish in praising his captain.
“It was brilliant batting especially coming in at the fall of Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket. The way he batted was usual for him and when he is in flow he can hit the ball a mile,” the rising star of Indian batting said.
Asked about whether this was the best innings played by Dhoni, he said,”I have seen him bat like this in the ODIs. I think his knock of 183 against Sri Lanka but ODIs are different.
“But when you analyse the situation of playing with a tail-ender and take strike when you wanted and hit the ball when it is needed, it is totally a great display of batting in temperament wise, hitting the ball cleanly and assessing the situation as well by Dhoni today. Especially, in Test matches it is not easy to play with the lower order.”
Kohli also seemed happy about his own performance and said,”I was really happy to get a big score. I had a very good consistent run and then few misses in the one-day series. I was not feeling bad about it. But, people watching felt that they heard that. Suddenly, I had a bad patch but I took some time off and took some rest and went away from the game.”
“I became hungry for runs before this series. Those feelings are important to a cricketer. I am pleased with how I batted in this Test so far. Just hoping that we will have a great session tomorrow and take strong position.”
This was Kohli’s second century against the Aussies but he rates his maiden ton in Adelaide as a better effort.
“Firstly, I think, still the Adelaide hundred is special to me. That was a tougher situation we were in. I needed to get out of that shell and make people believe that Test cricket was really important to me.
“I was really pleased with the way I played that whole series. This is also obviously special because I have got only four test hundreds. All four are very special to me.”
But the talented right-hander seemed surprised that Australia came into the match with a single spinner.
“All of us are bit surprised by their decision. They had Xavier (Doherty) in the team as well. So we really thought that he is going to play this game. We are really surprised to see three seamers in the XI. We decided to take advantage of that because in this condition, you can only have those quicks bowl good spell for three or four overs and not more than that. We had to remind ourselves to go and capitalise on that situation.”
But he was unhappy that despite being set, he couldn’t go onto hit a big hundred.
“I was very disappointed on getting out at that point of time. Usually, when you get a hundred you want to make it big but the sort of block I am facing, I do not know when I get hundred, I get out. I really want to get over that. I really want to get a big hundred in Test cricket.” (PTI)
