Virat Kohli: No More A Flat Track Bully

The last time Virat Kohli was playing a Test in England, he was being regarded as brash, arrogant, and somewhat of a punk. Sure, he'd won both the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, with a strong showing in the latter - a total of 176 runs in 5 games at an average of 58.66 - however, purists remained apprehensive. How can we separate the men from the boys if the men can't play swing in England, and bounce in Australia over five days?

You would be inclined to agree. The greatest batsmen have all been exceptional Test players too - Lara, Tendulkar, Bradman; the list goes on. So you could cut the purists some slack, and agree that, to provide Virat with your unconditional support and appreciation, he had to prove himself in the two toughest Test conditions in the world.

First came England in the summer of 2014. Virat's scores in the 5 Tests - 1, 8, 25, 0, 39, 28, 0, 7, 6, 20 at an average of 13.50. This remains the worst period of Virat Kohli's career. James Anderson had figured out his weaknesses, particularly a tendency to drive/defend deliveries pitched right outside off stump and swinging away.

England v India: 4th Investec Test - Day One, 2014

It was no surprise that Anderson took Kohli's wicket 4 times in the 2014 Test series - One in Lord's, one in Southampton, and in both the innings at Manchester. All of the dismissals were similar - Caught behind/Caught at first slip/Caught at second slip. This was no coincidence. This was a chink in Virat's armour that a great bowler like Anderson had figured out. If this problem wasn't fixed soon, Australia in December would attack the very same flaws - probably to greater effect.

But as they say, what makes top athletes isn't their demeanour or performance, it's the ability and the strength of mind to bounce back from a great collapse. Often, they start looking inward to solve their problems, and put the rest of the world behind them.

Virat Kohli bounced back, and how!

In the 4-Test series Down Under the very same winter (summer in Australia), Virat scored 4 tons. The Indian batting lineup, just as it had done throughout the past, let their top batsman down again. India would lose the series 0-2. Virat's scores - 115, 141, 19, 1, 169, 54, 147, 46.

Australia v India - 1st Test, Adelaide 2014

The comeback was complete, and Virat's status as a world beater and a true modern great was established.

The purists, although diminished in number, refused to disappear. They pointed to Virat's performances in Asia and abroad - 58% of Virat's Test runs have come in the subcontinent. This gave them added motivation to fight a losing battle - Proving Virat Kohli wrong. The term "Flat Track Bully" was raised needlessly time and again. While the same could be used for the dismal performance of Team India's other batsmen, it was a misnomer for Virat. He knew it. His fans knew it. But he needed proof.

And on this note, Team India commenced the 5-match Test series against England.

The match was truly an advertisement for the eternal potency of Test Cricket - On its day, very few sports can compare to the drama, tenacity, and sheer thrill Test cricket provides. The first Test was a tense, anxious, 4-day encounter, with England emerging the deserved winners - thanks to another fantastic all-round performance from Ben Stokes, and 20-year-old Man of the Match Sam Curran, playing in just his 2nd Test.

With a crucial 63 in the 2nd innings and 5 wickets overall, 20-year-old Sam Curran proved to be the difference.

The match featured poor batting from both sides, with India's proving to be worse.

In the wreckage of the combined 436 runs the Indian team scored in the Test, Virat scored 200 alone - a149 in the first innings, and a 51 in the second. Unfortunately, the rest of the batsmen let him down again. The second highest score for the Indian team was 31 - Hardik Pandya in the second innings. Virat's performance in both innings was crucial - The first ensured a marginal lead for England in the second innings instead of a huge one, and the second innings performance gave Indian fans a small glimmer of hope, considering the fact that other batsmen simply could not tackle Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes.

Not Kohli. He has a unique ability all champions possess - Controlled aggression. On getting Joe Root run out in the first innings, Virat gesticulated ferociously towards him, simulated a "mic drop", and used some other expletives. It could have passed his mind that he was yet to bat. If he performed poorly, he would get the same treatment.

Virat Kohli "drops the mic" after getting Joe Root run out in the 1st innings.

But Kohli did not perform poorly. Hidden in that aggression was a sense of supreme confidence in one's own ability - That he could simulate a "mic drop", and go on to make a 149 too. Such is the resolve champions are made of.

This is the start of a potentially wonderful Test series. Team India shall have many more opportunities to bounce back. While the result of the series is uncertain, one thing is certain, and should silence the critics once and for all - Kohli is no flat track bully. He is a batsman of outstanding caliber, and it's truly a pleasure to watch him perform.