Former India captain Virat Kohli says he “never thought” he would come this far and play 100 Test matches. The star batter will be the 12th Indian to achieve the milestone when he takes the field in Mohali on Friday.
Having scored only 4 and 15 in his debut Test, against the West Indies in 2011, Kohli has come a long way in a decade-long journey.
“I honestly never thought I would play 100 Test matches. It has been a long journey. We played a lot of cricket over the course of playing those 100 Test matches, a lot of international cricket. I am just grateful that I’ve been able to make it to 100,” Kohli said in a video posted by the BCCI.
“God has been kind. I have worked really hard on my fitness. It’s a big moment for me, for my family, for my coach, who is also very happy and very proud of this Test match,” Kohli said.
His liking for Test cricket was also clear.
“Test cricket needed to stay alive. For me, this is real cricket. I have given my heart and soul to this format. It feels great that I was able to contribute to the environment and culture in bigger ways than just in terms of strategies and plans.
“It’s something to feel proud about and I feel blessed since this opportunity comes very rarely to people.”
He felt his first Test hundred (116 in Adelaide) was something “he remembered very fondly”.
“That is something which is very fresh in my memory. Knowing the fact it came in Australia, it will always remain special... For a young guy trying to establish himself and to get it in Australia was something that really boosted my confidence. If you see my career it really took off from there after that Test match.”
Kohli also spoke passionately about his captaincy stint.
“When I took over the captaincy, I clearly had this vision for the team that we need to play a certain kind of cricket and need to be a certain kind of team in international cricket and we ended up achieving that five years in a row.
“I’m immensely proud of what I have achieved as a captain in Tests. The atmosphere was magical to be a part of. You enter the changing room and the atmosphere was such that you knew you could win anywhere.
“The feeling was so empowering... you went to every tour without any baggage, without any nervousness or hesitation. When I sat in the changing room I felt proud that I was able to fulfil my responsibility.
“From 2015 to 2020... The kind of cricket we played... each one of those tours was a special memory.
“We have had some tough losses and great comebacks and I’m immensely proud of the whole phase. Looking back I won’t be able to pinpoint any one memory that stands out.
“The whole phase was magical. Two series wins in Australia, coming out of England 2-1 ahead... potentially the trophy was with us,” Kohli said.
“I’m still passionate to win more games for my country. My single-minded motivation when I set out was to win for India and I continue to remain in that phase.”
