Former West Indian cricketer Ian Bishop lavished praise on Virat Kohli while commentating on Thursday, acknowledging his understanding of the importance of every run. Bishop was deeply impressed by Kohli’s dedication to the game, evident in his willingness to put his body on the line. He expressed a heartfelt desire to inspire Caribbean youngsters to adopt Kohli’s approach, urging them to prioritize running hard instead of solely relying on hitting boundaries.
“Here’s a guy who’s around for 500 games, knows the value of each run. Putting his body on the line, that tells you about his commitment. I wish I could tell every youngster in Caribbean to run like that and not wait for boundaries,” Bishop said on commentary.
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Virat Kohli had an exceptional day in the second Test against West Indies in Port-of-Spain, marking a significant milestone in his career. His gritty innings of 87 runs off 161 balls helped India regain the advantage after they lost four wickets in the second session. Partnering with Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli ensured that India didn’t lose any more wickets in the third session.
Compared to his performance in the first Test, Kohli appeared much more confident on the crease in Trinidad. He reached his half-century with a beautifully executed cover-driven shot, making history by becoming the first player to achieve a half-century in his 500th international match. This made him only the 10th cricketer ever to reach this milestone in international cricket.
Virat Kohli is the fourth Indian to reach 500 international matches. He shared the dressing room with Sachin Tendulkar, who played 664 matches before retiring in 2013. Rahul Dravid, who played 504 matches and now serves as India’s head coach, also played with Kohli during the early stages of his career. Additionally, Kohli made his international debut under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, who played 535 matches for India.
Kohli will be eager to continue his outstanding form and aim for his 30th Test century on the following day. If he achieves this feat, it would be his second Test century of the year, following his impressive 186-run innings against Australia in Ahmedabad. Moreover, it would mark his first Test century away from home since December 2018, when he scored 123 against Australia in Perth.
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