Virat Kohli Has the Sky as His Limit, Says Sunil Gavaskar

Despite being peppered by words on the field, Virat Kohli smashed a career-best 169 against Australia on Day 3 (Sunday) of the third Test. The India vice-captain partnered Ajinkya Rahane (147) to take help finish the day on 462/8 - 68 behind Australia - in a partnership that greatly impressed former India captain Sunil Gavaskar. (Day 3 report | Scorecard | Highlights)

 

Kohli put on 262 runs for the fourth wicket with Rahane in a batting display that greatly frustrated the Australian players. In fact, pacer Mitchell Johnson exchanged words with Kohli  through the day but the batsman let his bat do most of his talking. "Every batsman has his own way of dealing with aggression," said Gavaskar. "For Kohli, the sky is the limit and he has calmed down over the years in the manner in which he celebrates." (Read: How Virat Kohli survived Mitchell Johnson's verbal onslaught)

 

Gavaskar though feels that despite hitting big with the bat on Sunday, Kohli still showed occasional signs of vulnerability when being attacked verbally. "I am not saying he needs to stop his aggression completely but he definitely needs to reign it in," said the former India opener. "When Johnson said a few words to him and he gave it back, Kohli did look a bit edgy in the next few balls." Kohli's knocks were not without any errors and the 26-year-old was dropped in the slips once.

 

However, with 21 ODI centuries and nine Test tons, Gavaskar is confident that Kohli can only improve. The veteran of 125 Tests and 108 ODIs also appreciated Rahane and said he has been one of the most consistent batsmen for India in recent times. (Australia's dropped catches surprises Kohli)

"When he made his debut, Rahane looked a bit out of sorts. In recent matches though, he has shown that he has what it takes to score consistently," he said.

 

Gavaskar was all praise for the fact that both Rahane and Kohli have always shown a willingness to learn and improve. "Both players have always sought advise from seniors and looked to make the most of it," he said. "I remember when Kohli kept asking Sachin (Tendulkar) to help him improve and that's a great sign."

 

While Kohli and Rahane may have fallen in the first innings of the ongoing Test, Gavaskar feels the onus is now on Indian bowlers to secure a win. "Our bowlers, especially (Ravichandran) Ashwin, need to come to the party now. It won't be easy to trouble Aussie batsmen and the bowlers will have to give it their all in the next two days," he said.

 

On Monday, India will look to erase the 1st innings deficit although only two wickets remain. The bowlers will then need to ensure that the in-form Australian batsmen do not pile on the runs on a pitch that is steadily slowing down - a blessing for spinners like Nathan Lyon.