India vs Australia: Virat Kohli has a special message for critics after scoring ton - Watch

While nobody has questioned Kohli’s batting skills, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar had questioned his captaincy on the second morning. Looks like that did not go down well with the skipper.

The writing was on the wall after Australia put on 326 on a difficult wicket in their first innings in the second Test in Perth. But when the going gets tough, India skipper Virat Kohli gets extra motivation to get going. And it was no different at the Optus Stadium as he brought up his 25th Test century on Sunday morning. But more importantly, there was no extra celebration or any expletive to follow. He just showed his bat and moved the right palm to show that as long as the bat is talking, he doesn’t need to.

File image of Virat Kohli. (AP)

While nobody has questioned Kohli’s batting skills, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar had questioned his captaincy on the second morning. Looks like that did not go down well with the skipper.

“Astonished, baffled not just surprised. Baffled because the ball he bowled to Paine with the second new ball towards the end of yesterday’s play - pitching on a length, beating Paine and going over wicketkeeper Pant’s head when somebody is bowling that way.. Why would you not give him the ball straight away at the start of the day’s play?

“He’s been your best bowler on this surface. Yes, there might have been others who would have got more wickets to show but you know who’s the man more likely to get you the wicket of Tim Paine in the morning,” Gavaskar had told Sony Sports during the lunch break.

Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke had also supported Gavaskar and said: “To get wickets, Bumrah is by far the best bowler for India in this series. You’ve got to throw the ball to him. It’s about reading the match situation. Sunny is spot on.”

Coming into the series, Kohli had said that he no longer feels the need to get into confrontations or verbal duels. “I think from last time round, I’ve become more assured of myself, I don’t really find the need to prove anything to anyone.

“It’s all about doing what the team wants me to do and just giving my 100% on the field, it’s a gradual process, I don’t really feel anything different when I go to tour countries now, it’s more a process now. In the early stage of my career I used to think of these things as important milestones which are really important in one’s career, but now the focus is purely and solely on making the team win at any cost.

“So ... I don’t find the need to get involved in anything with the opposition and I think those are changes that keep happening gradually as you go forward.”