India vs Sri Lanka 2017: Virat Kohli reveals how Cheteshwar Pujara inspired his double century spree

What's the story?

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has opened up on the inspiration behind his recent spree of double centuries in Tests. In conversation with Cheteshwar Pujara for bcci.tv, the 29-year old revealed how he took a leaf out of the Saurashtra batsman's book and enhanced his concentration level in order to meet the demanding durability of the premier format.

Kohli candidly admitted, "(It) feels wonderful. It was always my mindset to score big hundreds, something that I have watched you (Pujara) do a lot in your career early on and learnt also how to concentrate for longer periods."

"We have all learnt from his (Pujara) long innings, his concentration levels and his will to keep batting. So I also got inspired by that to keep batting for the team for as long as possible. Now I only think of how I can play more for the team. And then you know, you don't feel the tiredness and anything else and (you can) keep carrying on looking at the situation."

The context

As recently as July 2016, Kohli did not have a single double century against his name. From his first 41 Tests, he had accumulated only 2994 runs at an average of 44.02 with a highest score of 169.

The heart of the matter

The first Test against West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua during the 2016 series was the turning point of Kohli's Test career. On a dicey track, he battled hard to notch his maiden double century in the traditional format of the game. Since then, the star batsman has just gone from strength to strength.

Extra Cover: Reliving all the six double centuries of Virat Kohli

He followed up his Caribbean exploits with a double century each against New Zealand, England and Bangladesh. After a uncharacteristically quiet home series against Australia earlier this year, Kohli roared back with an unbeaten ton in Galle.

During the series against Sri Lanka, he has embarked on a jaw-dropping sequence of scores. After hammering a stellar ton in Kolkata, Kohli smashed successive double centuries in Nagpur and in the ongoing Delhi Test. With as many as six such scores, he has now drawn level with the likes of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in the list of most double tons in India's Test history.

What's next?

Kohli's immediate aim will be centered around winning the final Test against Sri Lanka and pocketing a ninth consecutive series triumph. Having been rested for the upcoming ODI series, he will get a well-deserved break. It remains to be seen if he returns to action in the T20I series or in the eagerly awaited Test series on South African soil early next year.

Author's take

With his propensity to maintain his concentration for longer periods of time, Pujara is the ideal guide for other Indian batsmen to pick up the art of constructing a proper Test innings. Not looking to mimic his teammate's style, Kohli has assimilated the number three batsman's unswerving focus into his batting and consequently taken his game to another level.