Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin showered praise on Virat Kohli after the first ODI against South Africa, which India won by 17 runs at the JSCA International Sports Complex, Ranchi on Sunday. Ashwin hailed Kohli for showing the right intent from the get-go. Kohli scored 135 runs off 120 balls and he was able to hit the ground running as soon as he came to the crease.
Ashwin said Kohli is preparing himself, outside the team environment, which is helping him get the best out of him. Kohli prepared in England before he made his seven-month comeback in the ODI series against Australia.
“I feel that he is practicing away from the noise, and is not travelling with the Indian team, because of that, wherever he is preparing, he is getting some good practice. I don’t have 100 percent proof of it, but from what I have seen, he has worked on his hip flexors,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin said Kohli looked in the right zone while batting at Ranchi. Kohli was awarded the Player of the Match for scoring his 52nd ODI century.
“What stood out was Virat Kohli’s intent. We all know what kind of player Virat is, and he has nothing left to prove to anyone. The intent he showed, and the happiness he had on his face, that was amazing to watch. After a point, when there is nothing left to prove, it is all about the joy of the game. I also love that Virat emphasized that he played with complete joy, and that is the most important thing. Virat Kohli looked like he was in the zone,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin said the Ranchi pitch was a paradise for the batters as almost 700 runs were scored in 99.2 overs.
“This game gave me the feel of that classic Indian ODI bilateral dhamaka pitch. This pitch, even when South Africa were batting till the end, remained the same. If you go into a batter’s dream and ask him what kind of pitch he wants, they will take this pitch,” Ashwin said of the surface.
The second ODI between India and South Africa will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur on Wednesday.
