New Delhi, Dec 4 India legend Sunil Gavaskar broke down Virat Kohli’s century in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur, saying it never looked like Kohli would miss out on a hundred. From the very first ball he faced, Gavaskar felt the star batter was simply continuing the rhythm he found in Ranchi.
Kohli continued his fine form from Ranchi, where he played a 120-ball 135-run knock in the first ODI to help India win, and went on to score his 84th international century, the 53rd of his ODI career, in Raipur on Wednesday.
"To be honest, at no point did it look like he wasn't going to get a hundred. From the first ball he faced, it felt as if he was carrying on from Ranchi. He got off the mark with a hook for six, a shot he doesn't often play in the air, which showed the confidence from his previous hundred. After that, unless something unfortunate happened, the hundred always seemed inevitable," Gavaskar said on JioStar.
Kohli also stitched a humongous 195-run third-wicket stand with Ruturaj Gaikwad as the Chennai Super Kings skipper also got to the three-figure mark, his first-ever in ODIs.
"The partnership with Ruturaj was excellent. Ruturaj's first ball was a tough bouncer from Jansen, coming right after he had dismissed Jaiswal. He managed to put it away for four, and you could immediately see Kohli go down the pitch to comfort him.
"Ruturaj would've been nervous after getting out to a brilliant catch earlier, and whatever Kohli told him clearly lifted him; the next ball he played very confidently off the front foot," said Gavaskar.
Gaikwad, however, also credited Kohli for guiding him fantastically on his way to hitting his maiden ODI century and added that it was dream to bat with the batting stalwart.
"Sometimes, it's not just about your own runs; it's about how you help your partner. Their running between the wickets, the communication, it was wonderful to see a senior player guiding a younger one at such an important stage," Gavaskar added.
But, Kohli and Gaikwad's centuries were eclipsed by a clinical and collective effort from South Africa, as the visitors registered a series-levelling four-wicket win in the second in Raipur.
Gavaskar further explained how the toss heavily influenced the match, saying, "It was crucial. Just look at how wet the outfield was. Apart from perhaps the first half-dozen overs, the ball was always going to get wet. That affects not just the bowlers but the fielders too, you can't get a proper grip."
"The ball feels like a bar of soap. Even when you try for a strong return to effect a run-out, it slips out of your hand. That's why if you win the toss in Indian conditions, you always want to bowl first, so you don't have to deal with a wet ball when defending. So yes, the toss made a big difference," he concluded.
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