Pujara inspired me to score big tons: Kohli
new delhi — For a man with an insatiable hunger for runs, Virat Kohli says he derives utmost job satisfaction when he shines in Test cricket, a format he has mastered “watching” teammate Cheteshwar Pujara bat for long hours.
Only 29, Kohli has already established himself as one of the game’s greats, on Sunday overtaking Brian Lara as the skipper with most Test double hundreds (6).
“My favourite obviously is Test cricket, we are making sure from every angle that this should be the most important format because as batsman or as bowlers also we know how pleasing it is to score in Test matches, especially when conditions are tough,” Kohli said.
He added, “You have to counter conditions in South Africa, England, Australia. Job satisfaction is the most in this format. ODI and T20 also from an emotional point of view. When there is a full stadium and you win a close game that gives you a high.”
Kohli said that it is his teammate Pujara who has inspired him to score big hundreds and that he has learnt to bat longer watching him do that.
“It feels wonderful. It was always my mindset to score big hundreds, something that I have watched you do a lot in your career early on and learnt also, how to concentrate for longer periods.
“We have all learnt from his (Pujara) long innings, his concentration levels and his will to keep batting. So I also got inspired by that to keep batting for the team for as long as possible.
“Now I only think of how I can play more for the team and then you know, you don’t feel the tiredness and anything else and keep carrying on looking at the situation,” Kohli said. The Indian captain has scored all his six double hundreds in the last 17 months and has also scored 52 international centuries across formats. — PTI