Follow UsVirat Kohli scored his first Test ton in five years away from home when he struck 121 against West Indies at Port of Spain, Trinidad on Friday (July 22). He looked in great form even in the first Test in Dominica, where he scored 76 as India went on to win by an innings and 141 runs.
India fielding coach T Dilip believes that the India batter has continued from where he left off in the first game. "A good part of a player is how consistently he scores. He has continued his form from last match into this," Dilip said after Day Two in Trinidad.
"He did not start off with falmbyuont drives right away. He had to grind as he did in the first game. His application was fantastic, at the same time his temperament on that wicket...there were spells where the West Indies bowlers came good and he respected them. When he had to capitalise, he did that. Overall, the way he paced his innings was fantastic."
Dilip further added that Kohli continues to lead from the front when it comes to fielding, fitness and that is rubbing off well on the youngsters.
"He walks the talk when it comes to fitness," Dilip said.
"It mainly comes down to his discipline and how he takes care of himself. It has been 10 years and he is the most attacking fielder. It rubs off well on the youngsters. Everybody looks up to him - not just our team, but everybody in the world - A person like him, running around and attacking the ball so well."
Dilip remains hopeful that the pitch eases up a bit for Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to weave their magic with the ball. However, he is pleased with how they have shown their skills with the bat, which has further added to the team's depth.
"If you look at Ashwin and Jadeja, everybody around the world knows them for their bowling performances. But if you see of late, especially Jadeja, he has improved his batting tremendously that he is batting at No. 6 now," Dilip said.
"That's a fantastic sign for India because it gives a great combination. Ashwin always has that temperament and the application to score runs. Having these two together not just gives us advantage with the bowling, but also with the batting."
The fielding coach also believes the slip fielders' depth and spacing will be important in India's quest to win the Test and take the series 2-0.
Fast bowler Mukesh Kumar made his debut following an injury to Shardul Thakur. Dilip believes that the Bengal pacer deserves that chance to play at this level.
"If you look back at his journey, he is tremendous. He deserves this. Everybody looks at the IPL for performance, but he has been in the system with the Ranji Trophy. 3-4 seasons he has been bowling consistently. He has gone through the system and first-class," Dilip said.
"You can see that straight away. In the first over, he is hitting that length. It shows that he has played enough four-day games, not just with Bengal, but also with India A.
West Indies ended Day Two at 86 for 1, still trailing India by 352 runs with Kraigg Brathwaite (37*) and debutant Kirk McKenzie (14*) at the crease in replay to India's 438.