IND vs SL 2022: "It showed the belief and the guts he had" - Sunil Gavaskar recalls stunning incident in Virat Kohli's debut Test seriesΒ
Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar admires the way star Indian batter Virat Kohli has carried himself throughout his career so far. Kohli has not only been one of the most dependable batters for India over the past decade but has also shown tremendous self-belief.
One such incident that Gavaskar recalled was when Kohli made his Test debut against West Indies back in 2011. Fidel Edwards back then was one of the fastest bowlers in the world and was breathing fire against Kohli. However, the way in which the young debutant reacted to the situation caught Gavaskar by surprise.
Speaking on Sports Today's YouTube channel, Sunil Gavaskar elaborated on the incident.
"It has been a fabulous journey," he said. "It has been the journey of a player who even in his debut series wasn't afraid to take on the opposition. Way back in 2011 when he made his Test debut, Fidel Edwards was bouncing him and was staring at him. Kohli in return was blowing him a kiss by pursing his lips."
Gavaskar further went on to appreciate the guts that Kohli showed as a newcomer.
"For a newcomer to be dealing that way with one of the fastest bowlers in the game showed the belief that the young man had in himself and and the guts that he had," he said.
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"Virat Kohli's overall consistency has been remarkable" - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar has also been mesmerized by the consistency that the 33-year-old has shown throughout his Test career. Apart from the disappointing tour of England in 2014, Virat Kohli has been supremely consistent, according to Gavaskar.
In this regard, Gavaskar stated:
"I think his overall consistency has been remarkable. He just had a blip in 2014 but apart from that he hasn't had a bad series at all which is remarkable. Because he hasn't had ordinary series. He has had an excellent, very good or good series. Although he hasn't got hundreds of late, he has got 70s and 80s."
Virat Kohli will be playing his 100th Test against Sri Lanka, beginning in Mohali on 4 March.