Birmingham: India captain Virat Kohli, who slammed his maiden Test ton on English soil to guide his team to 274 in the first innings of the series opener, said the knock was a test of physical and mental strength.
Replying to England’s 287 in the first innings, Kohli was dropped twice by Dawid Malan in the slips off pacer James Anderson and went onto to score a gritty 149, his innings laced with 22 fours and a six, to enable the visitors trim the first innings deficit to 13 runs.
“It was difficult, but I told myself that it was important to enjoy this moment and consider a challenge to take the team far and the innings deep. It was a test of physical and mental strength and I’m glad that we could come close to their total and we’re pretty much in the game,” Kohli was quoted as saying by BCCI.tv Friday.
The 29-year-old right-handed batsman also praised the Indian lower-order batsmen for supporting him from the other end after the top and middle order collapsed. “Hardik batted really well after we were five wickets down. Then, the way Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav applied themselves, I think it was an outstanding effort from them and I have to give a lot of credit to them for getting us this close,” Kohli added.
Kohli however, insisted that he tried to focus on his game rather than what the media was talking about after several cricket experts had said that the England tour was his final frontier.
“I have mentioned these things in the pressers that I don’t see or read what people write about me. People think that I’m lying, but I genuinely have no idea what people are saying. I try to prepare the best way possible that I can and help my team as much as possible,” he stated.
