"Nothing to prove to anyone": Ahswin praises Virat Kohli's intent during Ranchi century

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], December 1 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin praised Virat Kohli's intent during the first India vs South Africa ODI in Ranchi, where the batter hit a record 52nd ODI century, helping the hosts trump South Africa by 17 runs. Ashwin also noted that Virat looks like he is "in the zone."

Virat Kohli broke an all-time record after bringing up his 52nd ODI century, surpassing Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 51 centuries and becoming the player with the most hundreds in a single format.

Virat scored 135 runs off 120 balls in the first India vs South Africa match of the three-match ODI series. His remarkable knock guided India to a 17-run win over South Africa in Ranchi. Notably, Virat's innings included seven sixes, along with 11 fours.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, 'Ash Ki Baat', Ashwin said that Virat's intent and joy on the field were remarkable; with nothing left to prove, he played purely for the love of the game.

"What stood out was Virat Kohli's intent. We all know what kind of player Virat is. And he has nothing to prove to anyone. Virat's intent and happiness was amazing to watch. I always used to say that after a certain point of time when you have nothing to prove to anyone, it is only about the joy of the game. And I liked that Virat also emphasised that I played with complete joy," Ashwin said.

"And that is the most important thing. I've often said cricket is like any other art form--not that I'm directly comparing them, but it's still a form of expression. When players have an exceptional day or achieve something remarkable, they often talk about being 'in the zone.' What is that zone? It's that feeling, that pure expression of your craft. That is the zone. And Virat looked completely in it," the off-spinner said further.

Ashwin said that Virat has been practising away from the team, and wherever he is practising, he's getting good facilities. He said Virat has worked on staying slightly lower on the ball for longer, showing clear improvement in his batting.

"I noticed one thing in Virat's batting. The fact that he stayed slightly lower on the ball for a longer period of time. If we look at it from the side or from the front, we will see more clearly in the next match. And I feel he is practising away from the noise. He is not travelling with the Indian team. I feel that wherever he is playing, he is getting good practice. And there is something that he has definitely worked on," Ashwin said.

Ashwin said that Virat appears to have improved his hip flexion and batting stance, staying lower on the ball longer, which helped him pick the length earlier and play more effectively during the India vs South Africa match.

Ashwin said, "I don't have 100% proof. But from what I have seen, his hip flexion has worked. He has stayed a little bit more upright. If you are upright, it will take some time to pick the length of the ball. But if you are lower, if you look at the ball from below to above with the bowler's hand, you will pick length slightly earlier. And the way he dug forward and hit a six from the front and the way he started, it looked like he had worked on it. And he stayed on the ball at a lower level for that bit more longer." (ANI)

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