Unflappable Virat Kohli makes No. 4 grade

Virat Kohli celebrates his hundred during the first day of their cricket test match against South Africa in Johannesburg. (Reuters Photo)

JOHANNESBURG: The camera was focused on the Indian dressing room the moment M Vijay got out. More than the replay of the dismissal, the broadcasters were interested about the player coming out to bat at No. 4. It was going to be a departure from a 25-year-old habit and the moment had to be captured.

As expected, Virat Kohli walked out and along the course of the day, made giant strides towards filling into the big shoes of Sachin Tendulkar. The 24-2 situation on foreign soil was the typical early 1990s platform on which Tendulkar made a name for himself and Virat Kohli showed on Wednesday he was the right man to take over. The best bowling attack in the world was coming down hard and Kohli was greeted with bouncers straight up.

But the Indian vice-captain, promoted from No. 5 to 4, played with the fearlessness that has made him the pin-up boy of Indian cricket. The 89-run Cheteshwar Pujara-Kohli partnership had flashes of the Tendulkar-Dravid firm that had done such a great job over the years.

"Kohli didn't look in any pressure at all. No. 4 is just a number, I don't think it bothered him," former South African captain Shaun Pollocktold TOI. The allrounder felt that it was Kohli's experience at the top that allowed him to maintain his composure. "He has been there forever. He knows how to handle pressure situations. He has played at No. 5 in Tests, so it's not a huge jump for him technically," Pollock added.

Herschelle Gibbs, too, is extremely happy with the way Kohli eased into the slot. "The mostimpressive thing about Kohli's innings today was his aggressive intent. A No. 4 batsman has to have the right mix of caution and aggression. Kohli played the hook and pull shots well, at the same time he was ready to leave a few balls," Gibbs said
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