Renowned hitter Sanjay Manjrekar commended Virat Kohli for his standout acts in the continuing South Africa Tests. Saluting the ex-India leader, Manjrekar shared his view that Kohli has demonstrated being capable of bettering oneself, even after a hundred Test games.
In the current Test series in South Africa, Kohli, 35, is India’s top run scorer. He has scored 160 runs at an average of 53.33 in three innings. He has by far seemed to be India’s finest hitter in challenging circumstances.
Manjrekar provided ESPNcricinfo with the following analysis of the veteran Indian batter’s performance thus far in the Test series against South Africa:
“I think he’s just more clear in his head. The last series [in South Africa], I keep harping on the fact that he had a strike rate of 34. I am sure somewhere he has decided that it’s not going to happen again – clear mind, no burden of captaincy, no pressure of retaining leadership, just focusing on his batting. The great man just showed how somebody can reinvent his own batting.
Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar Added:
“He’s started playing those shots square of the wicket. That was a calculated move. The pull shots as well to ensure that he doesn’t graft for runs because that is not Virat Kohli. On a pitch like this, you need to be looking to score and my respect for Virat Kohli has grown immensely in this particular series. This performance is coming well after his 100 Test matches.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
In the three innings he has played so far in the series against the Proteas, the former captain of India has scored 38, 76, and 46.
“He is slightly different when it comes to this format” – Sanjay Manjrekar on Kohli’s adaptability
After a fantastic ODI World Cup, Kohli entered the Test series against South Africa. Although he did not play in the white-ball matches against the Proteas, he has shown excellent middle control.
Praying for Kohli’s adaptability, Sanjay Manjrekar expressed:
“He’s reminded everyone how he is slightly different when it comes to this format. I know he had a great World Cup, but these are tough conditions and every time he has come out to bat, he hasn’t got out early. He’s hung in there. I think in the last innings in the previous Test, he would have got a hundred if things would have just gone normally.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Kohli made a record. He ran 765 times in 11 rounds. His average was high, about 95.62. He got three hundreds and six fifties.
