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Virat Kohli in action. (AP)
"Last time I took rest, it was difficult to handle. But my body is asking for it right now. The workload has been massive, I have been playing non-stop for the last 48 months, I need rest. My body has taken a toll in the last couple of years. Right now is the perfect time to rest before the tour of South Africa," Virat said after the third and final Test match in New Delhi.
One of India’s most prolific captains, Virat also pointed that he was happy that he was able to play at a brisk pace in Test cricket, just like he does in ODI matches.
"I was hitting the ball very well and it was kind of a revelation that I can play and hit balls in Tests the way I can do in ODIs. That was something I always hesitated to do but this made me realise that you can push the game forward even in Test cricket," Kohli said after the match.
Virat who scored sixth double century at the Ferozeshah Kotla now has more double centuries than any captain in Test cricket also impressed on the fact that he had to think of ensuring that his bowlers had enough time to bowl out the opposition.
When quizzed about his mental framework on achieving a milestone, Kohli said, "When I was not a captain, it was difficult to think of situations all the time. In my early days in Test cricket there was pressure. When I got to a milestone, I relaxed. But now, things have changed.”
"Now as a captain I have to keep to batting on and on even after I reach hundred or 150 and push forward to put up as many runs on board as possible, or if I am batting in the second innings to create a situation where the bowler can get extra overs to bowl the opposition out later," he said.
Kohli also pointed out that they had identified slip catching as a point that needed to be worked on. “First and second slip, if you practice well, you can get used to it. We've identified it as an area we need to work on."
First Published: December 7, 2017, 2:04 PM IST