'He always needed a challenge, that's what got him going' - Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun on Virat Kohli
Bharat Arun reveals how Virat Kohli's love for challenges led to his success in Test cricket.
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The retirement of Virat Kohli from Test cricket has made the cricketing world emotional since people will never get to witness the legendary batter in whites again. Some well-known figures in the cricketing fraternity have opened up about how much they will miss Kohli after all that he has achieved in the game.
Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun also recalled some of the memorable moments he shared with the legendary batter in the Indian coaching camp. In a recent interview, Arun mentioned that Test cricket will miss Virat and recalled some of the memorable moments he spent with him in the Indian camp. Arun talked about how Virat used to prefer challenging net sessions rather than practice matches, where he would face bowlers on the most challenging surfaces during practice.
“Indian and world Test cricket will miss him and his persona. I have spent some of my best moments as India's bowling coach with Virat Kohli as captain. He never liked practice matches; he always felt the intensity was somehow missing and never really enjoyed practice games. Instead, he would want to spend more time at the nets and would always choose the spiciest wicket, getting bowlers to bowl at him from 16 yards or taking throwdowns from 16 yards. The fact is, he always needed a challenge. That's what got him going," Arun was quoted as saying by Business Standard.

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Furthermore, Bharat Arun also mentioned one of the most impressive moments of Virat during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which India went on to win and reclaim the BGT title. Arun brought up Kohli's century in Perth and how he managed to change the whole dynamic of the team going into the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne.
“Virat had just scored a fantastic hundred at Perth, but we did not win that match. Going into Melbourne, it was Virat who literally changed the dressing room mindset. He made everyone believe that we could do it and went about his business as a leader in a manner unrivalled. He respected the format more than anything else and will be missed," he concluded.
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