Sanjay Bangar: Think Virat Kohli would look ahead to end century drought in Tests

The former India all-rounder feels the rhythm Kohli showed in the first innings of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand should stand him in good stead in the next series against England.

Former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels India skipper Virat Kohli would be eager to end his century drought with regards to his recent form. Kohli's last century came back in November 2019. Bangar also felt that Kohli's satisfaction comes from Team India's great show in the longest format of the game.

The former India all-rounder feels the rhythm Kohli displayed during the first innings of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand should stand him in good stead for the upcoming series against England.

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar shares his thoughts on how things could’ve been different during the ICC World Test Championship Final, "Yeah, definitely it could have been different. With a threat of rain looming over all the time, it doesn't really give players the freedom to go out and play for extended amounts of time. Because obviously, there's a break in concentration, as well as the normal wear and tear of the wicket – that it generally undergoes if it has completed 450 overs of play. Those are the other challenges as well. So, from that perspective, I feel yes, it does rob away some excitement, some challenges that you would want to see in a test match."

Sanjay Bangar talks about what will be Virat Kohli’s next target, "He has already scored close to 7,500 test runs, and this is a format, where he just simply gives it his all. It's not that he doesn't value T20 or ODI cricket; he plays with equal intensity, but the job satisfaction that he derives – because this is the toughest format. And in modern times, because there are no dead rubbers, so every test match is valued, and every team is playing for a result. This means that whatever is on offer – from a batting perspective – is always challenging for the batsman. So, to excel in each & every test match, and obviously, to get over the drought of the three-figure – which may have been playing on his mind – I think this is something that he would look ahead to. The way he has batted in the first innings was a clear indication of the kind of touch and the kind of rhythm that he was in. So, I think it augurs well for the Indian team."

Sanjay Bangar also spoke on Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid’s cricket journey, "Well, it's invaluable and not only as players they have continued to contribute in whatever capacities they can. They have been associated with Indian cricket in various capacities. First as players. It still gives goosebumps – like, how both of them scored those runs in their debut Test matches. Sourav, obviously, scoring those hundreds and Rahul when he was on 95 – making that decision to walk off when nobody appealed. So, that tells us a lot about their characters. And from there on how somebody like Sourav Ganguly took up captaincy in a difficult phase of Indian cricket and then gave that belief and was forthright as a leader. So, he was the one who inspired that fighting spirit and India won a lot of overseas Test matches under him. Rahul went from strength to strength. Especially, I was fortunate that I could play along with him in that phase wherein he was at his prime. So, from 2002 to 2006, he was batting as at his best,"

Sanjay Bangar lavishes praise on Shafali Verma for her performance during her debut Test match, "Her (Shafali Verma) future can only be bright and the only way she's going to go from here is up and the sky is the limit. Even though India play fewer Test matches, but this was a fantastic opportunity and the way she approached the game was refreshing. She played with a fearless attitude and put the opposition on the back foot straightaway. This is very rare. You mentioned how she resembles Sehwag in her approach and mind you if she continues to do that. Since the time Sehwag started opening for the Indian team in overseas Test matches, there was a huge difference in the eventual results of the matches. And this could also propel the way Shafali Verma is playing. If she continues to play in this fashion, she can definitely chart some great and memorable victories overseas as well for the Indian women's team."

Inputs from ANI

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Cricket Connected now airs every Monday at 2 PM IST on the Star Sports Network. The show has cricketing legends engage with fans through video calls discussing a range of topics.

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