Virat Kohli tried to rise above his poor show in the Cape Town Test by scoring a century in the second match against South Africa. Showing complete accountability as a captain, his impressive play rejuvenated his staggering team. He felt the necessity of staying on the crease, and amassing runs slowly and carefully.
Trying to shorten the difference in the score, he took the pressure off others by scoring 153 runs. He engaged himself in a bid to secure quick runs on every vacant side of the ground. Watching him play was exciting. The Indian team captain proved his firmness in the ongoing second Test match at the Centurion.
He provided life to an otherwise staggering team by completing his 21st century in his 65th Test match. This was what delighted cricket lovers. In the year 2013, he had played an innings of 119 runs in Johannesburg. But he was not the captain of the team at the time – MS Dhoni was.
He is now the second Indian captain to score a century on South African soil. Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar was the only one, having scored 169 runs during the Cape Town tour of 1997.
This remarkable feat marked his striking return to form after his much-publicised wedding in Tuscany and successive parties in Bombay and Delhi. This is why the fans were smiling, critics were changing their narratives and veterans were also praising him.
It is vital that, as a player, he had the determination and hunger to score runs by capitalising on every opportunity offered. In doing this, he has restored full confidence in his cricketing ability.
Despite all the adverse situations, he stayed on the crease till the end, striking the ball with full confidence. This was a display of will and the days will not be far when he surpasses Azharuddin’s record of 22 centuries in Test cricket one day.