While felicitating Virat Kohli before his 100th Test match, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid said in his congratulating speech, “As we say it in the dressing room, double it up”.
Former Indian head coach Anshuman Gaekwad has spoken on the same lines and said that he won’t be surprised if Virat Kohli goes on to play 200 Test matches for India and equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
In the T20 era and the IPL, it is not easy for a top-level athlete to play 100 Test matches. However, Kohli has always paid special attention to his fitness in the last decade and he has been able to reap the rewards for the same.
Gaekwad expects Kohli to play for another seven to eight years and feels the talisman will play close to 200 Test matches as there is a lot of cricket being played in the recent past.
“It is a great achievement to play 100 Test matches and still keep going the way he has. The big difference is the experience he has gained by playing in 100 Test matches. As long as he is fit, nobody can touch him. He is so conscious of his fitness that I won’t be surprised if he goes to 200 because of the kind of series of matches they are playing, the frequency is so high that it is a question of another seven or eight years, and he will land up close to 200. Am sure he will be fit and play for the next 10 years, the way he is going,” Gaekwad told News18.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli hasn’t been in the best of forms in Test cricket in the last two years as he is averaging 28.16. Kohli got off to a good start in his 100th Test match against Sri Lanka as he scored 45 runs but once again failed to convert his start as he was dismissed by Lasith Embuldeniya.
Gaekwad hailed Kohli for his never-die attitude on the field and praised him for his positivity. Kohli is known for his gluttony of winning at all costs and he gives his 120% on the field.
“It is going to be a big advantage for Indian cricket. Kohli is not only performing and leading from the front but also the amount of experience he has gained as a player, as a captain, is a big thing. He has shown the world that there is no going back. He doesn’t want to accept defeat. His thoughts have been very positive, he never gives up until the end,” added Gaekwad.
“His attitude, his personality, his actions on the field show that he is not a guy who is going to give up, and he is one to fight it out till the end. That is what he has shown the world. The boys have been in and out, new boys have come in, and he has performed and has shown the world that everything is possible, not only in India but also outside.”
The second Test match between India and Sri Lanka will be played in Bengaluru from Saturday.
