Port of Spain: Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop hailed Virat Kohli’s exceptional running between the wicket and his commitment to save the wicket during India’s first innings of the second Test against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval.
During the 72nd over on Thursday, Kohli, partnering with Ravindra Jadeja, was returning for the second run, suddenly realised he was at risk of being dismissed. Reacting swiftly, he executed a fully-stretched dive to ensure he completed the run just in time, narrowly avoiding getting out as the fielder’s throw from third man came zooming in.
“Absolutely superb. That’s the sort of desperation you love to see incorporated in your batting and batsmanship. This is a Test match. You sometimes see guys doing this in desperation in a one-day or white-ball scenario, but here is a guy who has been around for 500 international games and in a Test match, knows the value of every run,” Bishop said during the commentary on Day 1 of the second Test.
“Putting his body on the line and diving to make sure he’s in. That tells you how badly he wants whatever he gets out of this innings,” he added.
Praising former India captain’s commitment, Ian Bishop expressed his desire to see young batters from the West Indies follow Kohli’s footsteps and emulate his greatness.
“I wish I could get every young batter in the Caribbean — male and female — running like that and not just sitting back waiting for boundaries. You know how much you can top up your scores but this sort of intensity… I have seen a number of batters not desperate enough to dive and commit themselves like that. This is a good example,” he added.
(IANS)
