Mike Hesson, having worked closely with Virat Kohli for four years at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), knows the player inside out. The New Zealand cricket expert dissects Kohli’s century against Pakistan on Sunday night and talks about how it might impact his performances in other formats, especially Test cricket.
Excerpts:
What did you make of Virat Kohli’s knock against Pakistan?
Virat just keeps doing it, doesn’t he? Every time people start wondering if he’s slowing down or past his best, he just reminds us why he averages 58 in ODIs. Last night was another classic case of him chasing in a high-pressure situation. You just don’t expect anything less from a player like Virat.
Was there anything he did differently that he wasn’t doing earlier?
He just stuck to his game plan. The cover drive is a huge part of his batting, and he trusts that shot completely. Sometimes, if you get out playing it, you start doubting yourself, but Virat backed himself early on. Once he got going with that, his innings just flowed. He’s always been among the best against pace, so once bowlers couldn’t bowl that hard length at him, they had to look for other options. It was a proper masterclass in pacing a chase and another example of why Virat is such a great problem solver.
Are ODIs the key to Kohli’s batting form? When ODIs were more frequent, he seemed to carry that form into other formats as well.
Virat just understands ODI cricket better than most. It gives him enough time to settle in, and the pitches usually favor batters. Like I said, he’s an incredible problem solver, so whatever the situation is, he knows how to handle it. Last night’s chase wasn’t the most difficult one on paper, but the pressure of the occasion made it tricky, and he handled it with ease.
How do you see the pitches in Dubai? The ball doesn’t exactly come on to the bat the way Virat likes…
Yeah, Dubai hasn’t always been his favorite place to bat. The surfaces are definitely not as flat as the ones currently being used in Pakistan. The ball grips a bit more, and both spin and pace bowlers get something from the surface. Before this century, his highest score in Dubai was 90, and he only averaged around 37 there—compared to his career average of 58, that’s a big difference. So, to get a hundred in such a big game must have been really satisfying for him.
His IPL seasons in Dubai weren’t great either…
It was a completely different atmosphere. There were no crowds, and Virat thrives on that energy. The match last night had a different intensity compared to the two IPL seasons in Dubai, where we were playing in empty stadiums. For a player like Virat, who feeds off the atmosphere, it was tough. To get himself up for those matches would have been difficult.
Having worked with him closely, what do you say about his hunger and intent? He was the first to reach the nets before the game…
That’s why he’s one of the greats. Players like Kane Williamson and Virat, they just work harder than everyone else. Many players reach a certain level and feel satisfied, but Virat is always looking to improve. Even at this stage of his career, he still wants to get better, still wants to challenge himself. That’s what makes him different. The fact that he keeps delivering in high-pressure games for India just speaks volumes about his class.
Do you think this form will translate into his Test performances, particularly in England?
Form and confidence go hand in hand, no matter the format. If a player like Virat is in rhythm, he’ll score runs in any format. Test cricket or T20, it doesn’t matter—once he finds his form, he usually carries it across formats.
He’s 36 now. How long do you think he can continue?
Whenever people start questioning him, he comes up with a performance like last night. Virat will be the first to know when it’s time to step away. If he feels he’s not reacting to the ball the way he used to or his desire to improve is fading, he won’t hang around. But right now, he’s still contributing massively to Indian cricket, so I don’t see him going anywhere just yet.
With the India-New Zealand game on March 2 not carrying much significance, do you see these two teams playing the final?
Right now, India and South Africa look like the strongest teams. I’d say New Zealand are just behind them. But they still need to beat Bangladesh, so we’ll see how that game goes. If they make the semis, anything can happen. But for now, I’d say India and South Africa are the favorites, not just because of their form but also their squad depth.
