IND vs AUS 2022-23, 4th Test: 'Virat Kohli is a class player; didn't give us a chance' - Alex Carey

IND vs AUS 2022-23: India was on top with the bat, thanks to Virat Kohli's classy innings of 186. Meanwhile, Alex Carey was all praise for him, applauding him for showing how to bat flawlessly on a good batting surface.

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Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli is someone who would take a chance to score a 'daddy hundred' on a decent batting track and, on Sunday, he showed how to do it, said Australia wicket-keeper Alex Carey. Kohli scored 186 in India's 571 as the fourth and final Test entered the fifth day, and Australia needs to bat out two sessions well to eke out a draw.

"No surprise, he [Kohli] got in a decent batting track, went big, and showed how to do it. He's a class player and didn't give us a chance. We knew it was going to be tough bowling to Virat. We were able to contain him as much as we could and try to take wickets around him," Carey said at the end of Day 4's play.

The keeper said that expecting the spectators present to rally behind Kohli is a known thing, and he was ready for the noise decibel levels to go up. "Anytime you come to India and Virat's next in or batting, you know it will be noisy, and he played well today. But, I thought we hung in well," added Carey.

Carey made it amply clear in a roundabout manner that an Australian victory is out of the question. "It is going to be a massive challenge. We will focus on that first hour of cricket, and then, we'll see how that unfolds," he felt. India needing the services of middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer was a significant loss, and the visitors were happy to keep the lead down to less than 100 (91).

"I thought we did well today to minimise the lead. They [India] don't have Shreyas [he left the ground for scans and did not return] batting, so we were able to have a change of innings which was nice later in the day," concluded Carey.

(With inputs from PTI)