Virat Kohli scored a majestic century to lead India to a thumping 124-run win over South Africa in the third ODI at Newlands on Wednesday as the visitors took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the six-match series. The Indian skipper slammed his 34th century, his second of the ongoing ODI series. However, it wasn't as easy as Kohli made it seem. The Indian run machine had to overcome cramps late on in India's innings and said that it was an amazing feeling to push his body beyond the limits for the good of the team.
"I was pleased from that point of view that I was able to bat through because I was struggling with a bit of cramp around the 90s. Then wickets kept falling, I decided to hit out, because I thought I might not have enough energy left.
"Then amazing things can happen when you are thinking about the team all the time. You can push your body beyond limits that you might not push yourself otherwise. I experienced that today, and that was an amazing feeling," he added.
Pleased about the fact that I could bat till the end - @imVkohli after his match-winning knock of 160* #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/PVprbR8r8e
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 8, 2018
Speaking about the intensity with which he plays the game, Kohli said he wants to play in this manner till he is 34-35 and that this is the reason why he trains so much.
"Look I am going to be 30 this year...I want to play this kind of cricket even when I am 34-35. That's why I train so much because I am a guy who likes to play with intensity.
"Once that is gone, I don't know what I am going to do on the field," Kohli said reflecting on his unbeaten knock of 160, which guided India to a 124-run triumph for an unassailable 3 -0 lead in the series.
"I try to protect that. I try to train as much as I can.
"Keep a check on my diet. Those things pay off on days like these. When the team needs it, and you stand up, and you are able to pull through. As an athlete you crave for days like these," he added.
Kohli said the hundred was special in the sense that he had to continuously change his game through the innings. He said these were hard earned runs on a tough wicket against a good bowling attack.
"International runs are never easy. They are hard earned.
"Some might come on more batting-friendly pitches, but I think with their attack, and the pace and bounce they were getting initially, you had to adjust your game.
"Then the wicket got considerably slower after the 30th over, so you had to again adjust your game, and make sure, with wickets falling also, that you continued adjusting through the innings," Kohli said.
Kohli said that there is a marked difference in how he approaches scoring runs when batting first and when chasing.
"Today I wanted to accelerate at different times. When Shikhar Dhawan was batting, my job was to take singles...and keep rotating the strike, to be able to get the partnership going. When he got out I wanted to accelerate but we lost 2-3 wickets immediately.
"When batting first, you switch roles -- one guy is aggressor and you become the guy who is rotating strike. When he goes, you take that role up and another guy rotates strike.
That is how it is usually done," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
- Virat Kohli revealed he was struggling with cramps late on
- Kohli said it was an amazing feeling to take his body beyond the limits
- Kohli scored an unbeaten 160 as India won the 3rd ODI by 124 runs
