Virat Kohli opens up on his 'strongest point' after scoring 28th Test century

Virat Kohli has opened up on his approach after scoring a century in the Ahmedabad Test, saying he was "patient" and trusted his "defense."

Kohli recorded his 28th Test century as he scored 186 and helped India draw the fourth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It also ended Kohli's Test century drought, with his previous one coming in November 2019 against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens.

In a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kohli can be seen talking to India coach Rahul Dravid, saying he was playing well even before the fourth Test. Kohli's knock in Ahmedabad helped India put up 571 runs on the board, after bowling Australia out for 480.

"As far as approaching this innings was concerned, I knew I was playing well even in the matches before this one. To be fair, this was a really good wicket to bat on but having said that, the Australians utilized the wickets very well," said Kohli.

Kohli, the Player of the Match, said that his defense is his strongest point and has always been throughout his Test career.

"I had to be patient and I had to trust my defense. That's the template with which I've always played Test cricket. My defense is my strongest point because when I defend well, I know when the ball is loose and there to be hit, I can cash in and get the runs that I need," the former Indian captain added.

Kohli said while the Aussie bowlers were consistent, what calmed him at the crease was his ability to snatch regular singles and doubles. The No. 4 batter had hit just five boundaries when he got his century in Ahmedabad.

"Boundaries weren't easy to come by to be honest, the outfield was slow, the ball was soft, and they were pretty consistent. The one thing that really calmed me down was that I was just happy to pick up ones and twos and I could bat four-five sessions. That's where the fitness and physical preparation comes into play for me," said Kohli.

Kohli said he was able to bat the way he did due to his fitness, before adding that he was happy to score 30 runs in a session and get to 150 in 6 sessions.

"The one thing that stood out was batting fitness. To be able to bat for four-five sessions and for that you need to physically prepare yourself. That's' where the mindset comes from. I'm pretty happy scoring 30 runs in a session and not hit a boundary and absolutely not be desperate because I can bat like this for six sessions and get a 150," Kohli said further.

Kohli finished as the second-leading scorer in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy with 297 runs in six innings at an average of 49.50. Australian opener Usman Khawaja finished the series at the top of the runs chart with 333 runs in seven innings at an average of 47.57, including a century and two fifties.

India won the series 2-1 and now the focus has turned to the One-Day International (ODI) series, with the first game scheduled to be played on Friday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.