Dashing Virat Kohli is lapping it up

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Five centuries so far in the calendar year and possibly a few more to come before the bells ring in 2012.

The key number four slot in a strong batting lineup. A measured and dispassionate approach not only to the task of gathering runs, but of discussing them later.

It is all going rather well for India’s Junior World Cup-winning captain Virat Kohli, despite a less than impressive Test debut in the West Indies earlier this year.

Said his captain, another cool character, after the Delhi batsman’s unbeaten 112 at the Kotla on Monday, “Kohli is batting very well. It is important to give youngsters the opportunity to bat and improve their cricket. That is why it is important for them to bat up the order.

“Kohli is converting his starts into big scores. He is going through a phase and is improving at the same time.”

Having said that Kohli himself is the first to admit that his early days in Team India colours some three years ago, were eminently forgettable. Dumped once, the 23-year-old was quick to learn from his experience, as his 1,017 runs at a 44.21 average for this year alone show.

He has racked up a few landmarks on the way to 2,496 ODI runs, not least being the quickest Indian to the 1,000-run mark. His year’s haul puts him in third place on the run-getter’s list and his quirky bowling action gives Dhoni an extra option, though the latter isn’t too keen to exercise it too often.
“I don’t want him to turn into a serious medium pacer. He has a complicated action and I don’t want him to miss matches because of injury,” Dhoni said after the Kotla game.

Like so man of his team-mates, Kohli has been quick to shut away the trauma of the England tour. “I think we played really well in the ODIs in England,” he said at Hyderabad. “It was just a matter of crossing the line which we couldn’t do there.

“Unfortunately, a few times we had rain and Duckworth/Lewis coming in at the wrong time, though we can’t really blame that. We fought hard through that series and kept our heads high; and that has probably made the difference here.”

The manner in which he and Gautam Gambhir latched on to the England bowling - despite the unexpected pace and carry on the re-relaid Kotla track - was astonishing. Steve Finn must have bowled some of the fastest deliveries seen on Indian soil for some time, and was taken to the cleaners. Tim Bresnan went for close to six runs per over and at no time did the two Delhi batsmen look hustled or hurried.

The fact that after two forgettable outings at the Kotla, he was able to rustle up a 98-ball 112 would have pleased Kohli no end, and he will want to push on here as India seek to wrap up the series.

“When the runs are coming, one must make the most of it because that can change suddenly,” he said on Monday night. Kohli should know. He’s been there, and done that.