Virat Kohli reckons that with 5 fielders being allowed to be stationed outside the 30-yard circle in the third power play, it’s not easy now to collect big runs at the end of the innings no matter who is batting.
So, it’s important for the top and middle order to take more responsibility and make sure that the run rate is always healthy.
Virat scored a century in the 4th One Day International game versus South Africa in Chennai and guided India to a score of 299 which turned out to be match winning.
The pace at which he played that knock earned him plaudits of the India skipper MS Dhoni and also, some of the former players.
It was one of the slowest wickets to have been produced in the series and Virat was not being able to score boundaries easily when he first walked in, but, rather than forcing the issue, he focussed on trying to look for singles every ball despite the fact that the weather was extremely humid.
He, however, made sure that he did not let the loose balls go by. Whenever the two South African spinners flighted the ball, Virat was down the track.
In the latter stages of his innings, he was struggling with cramps, but, he was still quite prepared to hang in there for India as he knew with a new batsmen coming in, it would not be easy to get the scoreboard ticking.
Virat’s role would be quite crucial in Mumbai as well where the decider is to take place this weekend.
It’s going to be another hot day over there, but, the surface would be a little different, probably a little more bouncy in comparison to Chennai which Virat would certainly enjoy.