"The only way he looked like he would get out was run out" - Dinesh Karthik on Virat Kohli's excellent knock in 2nd Test vs WI

Team India batter Virat Kohli registered his 29th Test century in the first innings of the ongoing second Test against the West Indies at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain on Friday, July 21.

Lauding the batter for his stunning knock, Dinesh Karthik pointed out that Kohli has adopted a resilient approach in the ongoing Test series. The senior wicketkeeper-batter noted that while the seasoned campaigner has managed to put his lean patch behind and was back at his best.

Speaking to Cricbuzz after stumps on Day 2, Karthik said:

"The big story of the day, unsurprisingly, is Virat Kohli, and 29 hundreds. Test cricket and Virat Kohli have been a love story for a long time. They have really got along really well over a period of time. The last two years haven't been his best years."

"In this Test match and the previous one in West Indies, the one thing that he has shown a lot is what happens between his ears," he added. "He has fought it out. The only way he looked like he would get out was run out, and eventually, that ended up happening. But the man showed his class."

Virat Kohli's innings came to a premature end after he was run out, courtesy of a sharp direct hit from Alzarri Joseph. The right-handed batter, with his remarkable ton, helped the Men in Blue register an impressive 438-run total after being asked to bat first.

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"It is really hard to imagine" - Dinesh Karthik on the pressure on Virat Kohli

Dinesh Karthik further spoke about how difficult it would have been for Virat Kohli to prepare ahead of Day 2, considering that he had an overnight score of 87 to his name.

The veteran keeper suggested that it wouldn't have been easy for Kohli to come back on Day 2 and start all over again. He added:

"What it would feel like to be in Virat Kohli's boots? Sometimes I think about it, and it is really hard to imagine. 500th international game, there is quite a bit to play for, and you are going back overnight batting 80-odd and you are thinking, 'I really want to get that hundred'. I can tell you there are a lot of butterflies in your stomach. Literally through the night, you will see a Shannon Gabriel bowling to you, the likes of Jomel Warrican bowling to you. You will go across all those bowlers who are bowling to you and you will think you will play this shot, you will play that shot."

"And, you know sometimes that those shots are not possible on that pitch," he added. "The mind will take you to places that make you believe you can do those wonderful things. But then you have got to put all that aside, find a way to get some good sleep, wake up in the morning, go through your process again, go do your warm-ups, go do your knocking, and get ready for the test."

Notably, West Indies showcased great composure with the bat, finishing at 86/1 after 41 overs at stumps on Day 2.