Known for his intensity and an unrelenting desire to win, Virat Kohli never liked practice matches and instead preferred net sessions on the “spiciest” wicket with pacers having a go at him from 16 yards, former India bowling coach Bharat Arun said on Tuesday. Arun, who was part of the core coaching group during Kohli’s golden years as India captain, described those times as the “best moments” of his career. “Indian and world Test cricket will miss him and his persona. I have spent some of my best moments as India’s bowling coach with Virat Kohli as captain,” Arun told PTI during an interaction.

“He never liked practice matches,” Arun recalled.

“He always felt the intensity was somehow missing and never really enjoyed practice games. Instead, he would want to spend more time at the nets and would always choose the spiciest wicket and get bowlers to bowl at him from 16 yards — or take throw downs from 16 yards.

The fact is — he always needed a challenge. That’s what got him going,” he added.

Arun recalled what he described as a “pivotal moment” before the 2018 Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne with the series locked at 1-1.

“Virat had just scored a fantastic hundred at Perth but we did not win that match,” he said.

“Going into Melbourne, it was Virat who literally changed the dressing room mindset. He made everyone believe that we could do it and went about his business as leader in a manner unrivalled.” India won that Test and sealed a historic series victory, their first on Australian soil.

Kohli retired with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, including 30 centuries, at an average of 46.85. His record as captain — 40 wins in 68 Tests — is the best by any Indian skipper.

“He respected the format more than anything else and will be missed,” he concluded. 

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