Kapil Dev believes Virat Kohli can break Brian Lara's 400-run record

Former India skipper Kapil Dev believes talismanic batsman Virat Kohli can break Brian Lara’s highest Test score of 400 soon. The Indian Test captain has been in a rollicking form of late and started off this year with a bang. He first smashed two tons in the One-Day International series in Australia and then added four more hundreds to his kitty at the Indian Premier League, where he almost single-handedly took his side the Royal Challengers Bangalore to the final.

Last week, the prolific run-getter scored his first double ton in India's innings and 95-run victory over the West Indies in Antigua. Before the double ton, Kohli had already smacked 11 hundred in only 42 matches and 73 innings. He took over the captaincy in the Australian tour in 2014-15 when Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to retire from Tests.

"Mark my words. Virat Kohli will make 400 plus in a Test match. Remember I said this first," Kapil told India Today website.

India’s first World Cup-winning captain also said Kohli is not as talented as Sachin Tendulkar but added mentally he is a much fitter player. "At his age, Sachin Tendulkar was more talented. But then he had that mental block. He would get to a hundred and then get into a rut," Kapil said.

The 57-year-old also spoke of the tremendous improvement that Kohli has shown over the past few years and believes he can tear any attack apart. "There has been a tremendous improvement in Kohli. Still, I would say Sachin was more talented. But Kohli is the type who will tear an attack apart,” he said.

After the second Test which is presently underway in Jamaica, India play two more matches in the Carribean and then travel back to the country to lock horns against the likes of New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia and Kapil believes it will be the perfect opportunity for Kohli to hunt down Lara’s record.

"With so many Test matches coming up this season I am sure Kohli will find the perfect pitch to his liking on which he could threaten the world record 401. I know many pitches will be turners in the home season, but I am sure Kohli will get one or two perfect pitches.

“I am sure one day soon the record will be in danger.” Besides having 3194 runs in Tests, Kohli has also scored 7212 runs in ODIs and 1641 runs in T20 internationals.