Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson praised former Indian captain Virat Kohli for his incredible fitness levels. Richardson recalled an ODI when Kohli played a match-winning knock at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in 2017 in scorching heat.

Kohli scored a fine knock of 92 runs off 107 balls in the second match of the series and ran hard between the wickets despite all the heat. The right-hander’s knock helped India post 252 runs on the board.

Kane Richardson said via Cricket Australia X handle, “I remember there was a game in Kolkata where it was so hot. It was that hot, I can’t describe how hot this day was. I don’t think he (Kohli) made a 100 that day, I reckon he got a 90-odd. But, again, like we are literally dying and he is like clipping a one or a two and running it like he’s on a treadmill in air conditioning. You speak to anyone that was there that day and no one was speaking. Even if you get a wicket, there was complete silence because no one had energy. Virat had energy.”

“I remember bowling and Matty Wade threw up as I was running in, it was so hot. I remember Patty Cummins was sitting on an esky on the side on the field. Zampa was giving him a drink and someone was running in to bowl and Zamps was like, ‘Patty, bowler is running in to bowl’. He is like, ‘I Know’ and he is still just sitting on the esky off the field and if the ball got to him, he’d get up. But I remember it because that was when I was like this guy is a completely different level, no matter the conditions.”

Richardson returned with impressive figures of 3-55 in the 10 overs he bowled in that game. But Australia was bowled out for 202 runs in the 44th over and suffered a 50-run loss. India went on to win that five-match series by 4-1.

India will take on Australia in a three-match ODI series, starting Sunday.