"Capable of slamming a ton against any opposition" - Saba Karim backs Virat Kohli to end Test century drought

Former cricketer Saba Karim believes that Team India's Virat Kohli has a chance of ending the year on a high note by smashing his much-anticipated 28th Test century.

During a discussion on India News Sports, Karim mentioned that Kohli could cross the 100-run mark in the upcoming second Test against Bangladesh. He believes that the star batter will be able to make optimum use of the conducive batting conditions in Dhaka.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out how Kohli has showcased impressive form in white-ball cricket this year. He emphasized that the player looked in great touch in the first Test as well, before perishing to left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.

Karim explained:

"He [Virat Kohli] has a significant chance of scoring a century in the second Test. This would be the ideal stage, as the wicket is expected to be good for batting. Bangladesh don't have a quality attack either. But it doesn't matter to Virat Kohli, as he is capable of slamming a ton against any opposition.

"It's not like he's not playing well. We have seen that he is in good form. He has done very well in white-ball cricket this year, and even in the first Test, he looked well-set right from the start."

Karim further added that Kohli would regret getting out early once again, given that Bangladesh lack potency in bowling. He stated that the longer format is of utmost importance for the veteran batter and he would want to get the monkey off his back quickly.

On this, he said:

"Virat Kohli has performed exceptionally well in Test cricket, which is his preferred format. With the wickets that are there in Bangladesh, you feel like you can come up with a big score. When you get out early, you'd be thinking that you should have played a big knock on such a wicket."

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Notably, Virat Kohli was dismissed for one in the Test series opener against Bangladesh. If he goes on to score a hundred in the second encounter, he will achieve the stunning feat of slamming tons in all three formats in the same year.

"Great opportunity for all the Indian batters to score big runs" - Saba Karim on second Test

Saba Karim also mentioned that not just Virat Kohli, but the other Indian batters too have a chance of piling up big runs against Bangladesh.

He mentioned that the hosts should consider adding an extra bowler for the second Test to be able to give India a tough fight. Karim highlighted that playing with just four frontline bowlers would once again put Bangladesh on the back foot.

The former selector elaborated:

"Bangladesh do not have a quality bowling attack. They need to have an extra bowler in their playing XI. They went ahead with just four bowlers, which proved to be a massive advantage for India. It's a great opportunity for all the Indian batters to score big runs."

KL Rahul and Co. lead the two-match series 1-0 thanks to their comprehensive 188-run victory in the opening clash. A win in the upcoming contest would further bolster their chances of making it to the final of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.

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The second and final Test between India and Bangladesh will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium from Thursday, December 22.