'This is classy batting': Sunil Gavaskar impressed with intent shown by Virat Kohli

India vs England: While the rest of the Indian batsmen struggled against spin, Kohli batted in a different league, almost dishing out a lesson on how to bat in such challenging conditions.

India may have lost five wickets in the opening session on Day 3 of the second Test against England in Chennai, one man stood tall and batted like a rock – Virat Kohli. After being dismissed for a duck in the first innings, on a turning and challenging pitch, Kohli batted with determination and class, scoring a half-century with seven fours, extending India's lead. While the rest of the Indian batsmen struggled against spin, Kohli batted in a different league, almost dishing out a lesson on how to bat in such challenging conditions.

Virat Kohli drives. (BCCI )

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was highly impressed watching the master and work, and credited Kohli for batting with intent. India lost important wickets, that of Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane, but Kohli ensured that despite the lapse, India went about stretching their lead, which at lunch stood at 351.

"He played with a positive intent and when your team has got that belief then you come into bat despite the fact that you might not have scored runs in the first innings. But look at his intent. He is either going right forward or right back. When he comes forward, he is smothering the ball, and when he's going back, he is giving himself time to see what the ball is doing," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

"When the half-volley comes on, someone like Virat Kohli is never going to miss out on opportunities. The again, using the wrist so well, turning with the ball and closing the face of the ball to make it go along the ground. This is classy batting."

India were 106/6 when Kohli and R Ashwin came together and forged a fifty-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Ashwin himself played some classy strokes, employing the sweep shot with a lot of effect. Gavaskar explained how Ashwin and Kohli's batting have proven that the pitch is not unplayable to bat on.

"India have shown intent. It's what you have seen in this latest partnership - between Kohli and Ashwin. The way they have looked to score at every opportunity, the way they have stolen singles, they've covered ones into twos. They've run hard between the wickets. Looks, the boundary balls haven’t always been there and you won’t get easy boundaries in Test cricket," Gavaskar pointed out.

"But what they have shown is this pitch is not the devilish pitch everyone is talking about. Yes, it's a challenging pitch and that's how it should be. The fact that India have scored more runs than England did in their first innings is an indication that it is not an impossible pitch."