Virat Kohli's 29th Test hundred could not have come at a better time for him. With the growing chorus of transition and planning for the future, the superstar's ton has ensured the noise will die down atleast for a bit.
When a player has scored 76 international hundreds in 500 international games, there is only one meaning to it. That is, he is an absolute legend of the game.
The small but relevant statistic that Kohli has one hundred more than what the great Sachin Tendulkar had at the 500 international matches stage, gives a sneak peek into how incredible an achievement this is.
The legend of Virat Kohli
Kohli is one of the modern-day greats and there are no two ways about it. With a Test batting average of 48.88, ODI average of 57.32 and T20I average of 52.73, the Delhi man has been a revelation of sorts.
From being the lynchpin of India's batting in the mid 2010s, especially from 2016-2018 which were his peak years to now being the accumulator and the man who lends solidity to the batting order, Kohli has come a long way.
In the period leading upto the Covid-19 pandemic and during that period, Kohli was really not himself and went through the lull period.
Write off Virat Kohli at your own peril
As it has happened with the careers of several greats, Kohli was roundly criticized and written off but as the cliche goes: Form is temporary, Class is permanent.
The famous Virat Kohli cover drive is well and truly alive and kicking. The flicks, pulls, drives, sweeps, slog sweeps are all intact and ensuring he piles on a truckload of runs.
There has been stinging criticism from several quarters on whether Kohli and Rohit Sharma have got the long handle in comparison to Cheteshwar Pujara, who has been dropped from the squad.
Pujara's Test career currently hangs by a thread and with the youngsters picked in the squad performing fairly well and likely to be given time to perform, it seems a tough prospect for him to make a comeback.
King Kohli answers critics with his bat
In that context, one wonders if someone of the stature of Kohli, who has a stratospheric brand value and equity, needs an insurance of a hundred in the West Indies against the West Indies.
However, be that as it may, if it needs to be looked at as an insurance cover, so be it. He has earned it by putting in the hard yards and maintaining supreme fitness levels that for years now has served as an inspiration to the youngsters coming up the ranks.
Fitness culture brought in by Kohli
The fitness culture that has emerged in the Indian team over the last 6-7 years has been the dominoe effect of Kohli's obsession with fitness which has had a trickle down effect.
With the fitness levels, that he has maintained and sustained over the years, Kohli has bought himself atleast 3 years of active cricket.
The man is known to run hard between wickets and has a history of converting ones into twos and rotating strike with ease when the boundaries are hard to come by.
It is this very trait that makes Kohli stand out from the rest of the veteran pack. And this is what made MS Dhoni stand out from the rest. Dhoni's great fitness levels and running between wickets ensured his longevity in the game and now Kohli is doing the same.
The batting great is using the strength of his fitness levels to further enhance his game. He is still absolutely on top of his game with regard to the skills aspect, so he is sorted once the fitness area is covered.
