West Indies batsman Chris Gayle on Friday heaped praises on Indian skipper Virat Kohli for his "fantastic" century in the first Test of the ongoing five-match series against England.
Gayle said that Kohli had a point to prove against England and that he started really well to look for bigger and better things in the series.
"It was a fantastic inning. England is a challenging place to play cricket. He had a point to prove in England and he has started really well. Now, he can look out for better things in the next matches," Gayle said.
The destructive opening batsman appreciated Kohli for his leadership skills and said that that the way he batted with the tail-enders and dig in when the team required him, one can easily look and tell that he is someone with a plan.
Meanwhile, Kohli's coach Raj Kumar also applauded his lad for playing a "magnificent innings" and showing a perfect combination of "patience, dedication and focus" on the pitch. The coach rated the knock as one of the better innings of Kohli, so far.
"The inning he played was magnificent. Playing with the tail-ender, you have to be really calculative and he did that perfectly. The wicket was testing but the way he maintained his calm and composed is really commendable," Kumar said. "He remained focused throughout the inning. It is one of the better innings of Virat," he added.
Leading from the front, Kohli played a smashing knock of 149 off 225 balls pulling the team out of the pressure situation after India lost three wickets in quick succession on the second day of the Test match.
Currently, England are playing at the score of 92 runs in the second inning, maintaining the lead of 105 runs over India with three wickets left in their hand.
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