Fresh from his recent exploits in the Asia Cup and in Australia,Virat Kohli,newly appointed ambassador for ICCs partnership with Room to Read,would have expected nothing less than paeans sung in his praise as he sat in the small MCD class room in Delhis Andrews Ganj neighborhood. There,a gathering of children beneficiaries of the programme had been asked to introduce themselves and say what they knew about Kohli. They had already showered the 23-year-old with marigolds,a few petals of which lay impaled on trademark gel-spiked hair. Seven year-old Sagar,a student of the primary school,stood up and began confidently. Virat Kohli is a very good batsman. He scored 183 against Pakistan. Then he got out. I saw that, he said assuredly. While the rest of the room,including four hulking minders giggled,a bemused Kohli,beamed at the boys one-line description of a career-defining innings. But there was reason for his indulgence. Maybe it was the presence of so many children that reminded the cricketer about his own ambitions growing up. When I was a kid,I would watch Sachins matches in Sharjah and when I would go off to sleep,I would dream about playing those sort of innings for India as well. When I was batting on 170 against Pakistan,I suddenly realised this was what I used to dream about, he said. Kohli looked far more nervous than at any point during that innings when he was asked to read to the children. He suggested nervously that he was the worst reader in the Indian cricket team but there was little to worry as he seamlessly breezed through the pages of Jalebee an illustrated 12-page story book on the struggles of Sapna and Deepak to find something to buy for ten rupees at the local fair. The session of reading over,the kids bombarded Kohli with more questions and Kohli played with an admirably straight bat. Did you go to libraries? Yes. What is your favourite place in the world? Home. What were your favourite subjects? English and History. What is your goal in life? To keep improving. Why do you twirl your bat all the time? Aadat pad gayi hai. Swearing-in ceremony Maybe it was politeness but no child asked Kohli why he celebrated his centuries most recently his maiden Test ton in Adelaide and then the one against Pakistan with an outpouring of abuse. That was left to the journalists who had turned up. It was also an answer he gave after deliberation,knowing how he is seen increasingly now as a role model. Making sure there were none of his younger fans within earshot,Kohli explained. There is always a lot of pressure when you go out to bat for India. In addition to that you always want to do well in crunch situations. You look to be calm throughout the course of your innings, he said. Australia,he said,had been a tough make or break series for him. Ever since the tour started we were being abused by the local people. Its one thing when an expert says certain things,but it is different when the crowd say unprintable things against you. When I got the century,the emotions,one and a half months of pent up frustration,came out at once. It was the same against Pakistan. I had played against them thrice and hadnt done well. When you succeed,the emotions take over, he explained. Despite the show of emotion while playing,Kohli says he leaves it behind when he walks off the field. When I am not playing,I dont think about the game. That changes the moment I get on the field to practice or play a game. Sometimes my brother or my mother call before a game,and I tell them that I dont want to talk about it. I prefer to prepare for matches my own way, he says. Virats Test of fire Admitting that the Australia tour was a struggle at least initially,Virat said that the turnaround in his form came in the third Test at Perth,where he scored 44 & 75. His take on the Test My biggest problem was that I was reading everything that was being written about me. No one asked me to see what all was been written, I was going through all the papers on my own. Everyone was asking for me to be dropped, I was blocked mentally. Before Perth,I realised that there was no good reason for me not to do well; After all I had scored eight one day centuries,. They were doing was playing with my ego. They would pitch the ball up outside the off stump and expect us to drive the ball. At Perth I decided that I simply wont play a cover drive. I would make them bowl at me- let them attack the stumps. That made the difference.
