‘No Matter What People Say..’: Former India Cricketer’s Honest Response After Virat Kohli’s 29th Test Century

Virat Kohli will be a ‘relived’ man after hitting his first century in an away Test match in five years, says former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta. While Kohli himself said that milestone’s don’t matter and it’s the impact that he will be remembered for, Dasgupta says numbers do matter as it’s how the society judges you.

“That’s a huge achievement – hundred No. 29. I think it was a really good innings and again something that didn’t come very easy to him. He really had to work for it, so you’ve got to give more credit for that,” Dasgupta said on ESPNcricinfo.

“No matter what people say, numbers do matter. I’d be honest. When you look at our society as such, most of our judgment is based on numbers. More importantly, it’s just the fact that he hadn’t scored a hundred away from home, out of Asia I believe, in so many years,” he added.

The milestone came in Kohli’s 500th international game and has now taken his tally to 76 hundreds – one more than Sachin Tendulkar’s record at the same stage.

The 46-year-old said it’s a monkey off Kohli’s back since the former India captain has set high standards for himself and would have been itching to end the overseas century drought.

“It’s not just about what everyone else is saying. It’s also about yourself. Virat is someone who has said that himself before as well – it’s about trying to prove himself. It’s not about what anyone else is saying or what people think. I think that would be a monkey off his back, that hundred. He would be relieved,” he said.

Kohli scored 121 off 206, an innings featuring 11 fours as India were bowled out for 438 in their first innings.

“I really enjoyed myself out there. I was in rhythm in which I wanted to be. I always looked at pressure as an opportunity to stand up for my team. I switch on myself in the contest and it gets the best out of me. I took my time, they were bowling in good areas when I walked in so I had to take my time. The outfield wasn’t quick and fluent as it should have been,” Kohli said.