"Liked the mood that he was carrying" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli's on-field behaviour in WTC 2023 final

Sanjay Manjrekar has pointed out how Team India's Virat Kohli's body language looked positive despite enduring a batting failure in the first innings of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final against Australia at The Oval.

The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that Kohli seemed to be very happy on the field. Manjrekar stated that while the former captain has often looked intense during matches, his jovial self was a welcome surprise.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar commented:

"I liked the mood that he (Virat Kohli) was carrying after the dismissal of the first innings. On the field, he was vibrant as always, and there was a lot of smiling, light-hearted conversations with Shubman Gill.

"Maybe it is something that he is trying to build in himself because he has himself gone on record to say that on occasions he has been too intense. And the failure in the first innings was an important one for him. This is the ultimate Test, and this is the ultimate Indian Test batter."

Speaking about Kohli's batting in the fourth innings, Manjrekar mentioned how the batter once again looked very confident when he walked out to bat.

He, however, opined that the 34-year-old continued to back his front foot trigger movement, something that has proved to be a cause of his downfall on certain occasions, adding:

"What I saw in the second innings is typical Virat Kohli. You will never see him come looking down on confidence or giving less than a hundred percent. Still going with the same approach, trying to get on the front foot. Fortunately for him, there was Mitchell Starc who still bowled a lot of full deliveries to him that were just perfect for him to drive."

The Indian side were in trouble after losing three wickets on Day 4, considering that they need to chase an imposing 444-run target to win the WTC 2023 final.

Kohli showcased exemplary composure under pressure, finishing with 44 runs at the stumps.

The onus will be on the seasoned campaigner on Day 5, as a big score from him will help Rohit Sharma and Co. power their way back into the contest.

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"I am glad stumps came when Virat Kohli was on 44" - Brad Haddin

During the discussion, former Australian keeper Brad Haddin stated that Australia would be happy that the day ended when Virat Kohli had scored just 44 runs.

He suggested that the Pat Cummins-led side now have a chance of taking the star batter's wicket, considering that he will have to build his innings again on the fifth day.

Haddin explained:

"I am glad stumps came when Virat Kohli was on 44. That means that Australia get another opportunity tomorrow for him to start his innings. We know how much he loves playing against us. He has got a great record of scoring some big hundreds."

India were off to a decent start, however, they lost momentum after the dismissals of Shubman Gill (18), Rohit Sharma (43) and Cheteshwar Pujara (27).

Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane steadied the ship for their side, stitching together an unbeaten 71-run stand for the fourth wicket.