Virat Kohli reminds me of Sachin Tendulkar: Michael Clarke

Virat Kohli raises his bat after scoring his second hundred of the Test match at the Adelaide Oval

Lauding Virat Kohli’s 175-ball 141 in the fourth innings of the just-concluded Adelaide Test, which India lost by 48 runs despite putting up a spirited fight on a deteriorating track, Australian captain Michael Clarke has said that watching the Indian No. 4 bat reminded him of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli’s knock brought back memories of a similar effort by Tendulkar against arch-rivals Pakistan in 1999 at Chennai. The Little Master scored an exceptional 136 off 273 balls but couldn’t save his side from avoiding a loss; his dismissal off the bowling of off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq triggered a late batting collapse as India lost by 12 runs on Day 4.

Kohli showed his class at Adelaide

Clarke, who is now ruled out of the remainder of the series as a result of a hamstring injury sustained during the final day of the first Test, said: "I remember watching Sachin (Tendulkar) play for so many years and really enjoying watching him bat on television but when you play against him it's not the same feeling .You want him to get out. And Virat was probably like that today.”

He added: "On the field you are thinking of so many different ways and options as to how you can get him out but you have to stop and acknowledge what an absolutely fantastic innings that it was. The ball was spinning, there was a lot of natural variation, some bouncing, some staying lower. I think he showed his class. There's no doubt.”

The second Test is scheduled to start at Brisbane on December 17. Steve Smith has been appointed as the stand-in captain for the next three matches.