"Virat Kohli has batted exceptionally well" - Gautam Gambhir on former skipper's knocks in 2nd IND vs AUS Test

Gautam Gambhir has praised Virat Kohli for the control he exhibited in his batting, especially in India's first innings of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli scored a patient 44 in India's first-innings total of 262 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. He followed that with a crucial 20-run knock in the second essay on Sunday (February 19), which helped Rohit Sharma and Co. chase down the 115-run target with six wickets to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir was asked about his thoughts on Virat Kohli's batting efforts across the two innings, to which he responded:

"You will have all sorts of dismissals when you have longevity but the good thing is the control we got to see in the first innings. Virat Kohli has batted exceptionally well in this Test match, although he might have scored only 60 or 65 runs in two innings."

The former Indian opener expects more substantial contributions from the modern batting great in the remaining two Tests, elaborating:

"I have said earlier as well that nothing gives you more confidence than runs, but for someone who has been playing cricket for such a long time, how he is batting is equally important. I believe runs will come in the upcoming matches if he bats with the same rhythm."

Outside of the headliners, India had many positives. The manner in which Virat Kohli batted was one, the confidence of KS Bharat and his two low catches was another.

Kohli struck four boundaries in his 44-run knock in the first innings. He was given out leg-before-wicket in slightly controversial circumstances as the ball seemed to hit his bat and pad almost in unison.

"If a kid wants to learn about technique in Test matches, you should play like this" - Mohammad Kaif on Virat Kohli's 1st innings knock

Virat Kohli looked assured both on the front and back foot. [P/C: BCCI]

Mohammad Kaif highlighted that Kohli showed exemplary technique on a turning track, stating:

"If a kid wants to learn about technique in Test matches, you should play like this - whether you score runs or not is a different thing but I am talking about the approach and organized batting on a turning track where everyone was getting hit on the pads."

The former Indian batter added that the former skipper showed surety in footwork, especially in the first innings, explaining:

"He scored 44 runs (in the first innings) but looked absolutely correct. The decision to give him out will be spoken about repeatedly, but he was in control while moving forward or back. He didn't play any ball half-cocked, he was either going on the back foot or forward."

2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ runs - The fastest to reach another milestone, yet again! 🤌

📸: BCCI

#PlayBold #TeamIndia #INDvAUS #BGT2023 #ViratKohli https://t.co/EGAWZQqgiZ

Kohli was beaten or played a false shot on only a few occasions during his 84-ball first-innings stay. He strung together a crucial 59-run fifth-wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja after the hosts were reduced to 66/4 at one stage.