‘Never be satisfied,’ Tendulkar tells Kohli

NEW DELHI: India’s captain Virat Kohli was on Tuesday urged by batting great Sachin Tendulkar to keep his focus and let his “heart guide the way”.

Kohli’s brilliant batting display in last week’s first Test against England fell short of delivering a victory at Edgbaston.In a match in which no other Indian player reached a half-century, Kohli made 149 in the first innings, before leading his team’s push towards their victory target of 194 with a further 51 in the second.

However, his dismissal on the fourth and final morning proved to be the defining moment of the match, and in the wake of India’s 31-run defeat, Kohli came under fire in the media — most notably from the former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, for failing to recognise that his lesser team-mates needed more practice than he did.

“I would say, just continue, he’s doing a fantastic job so just continue,” Tendulkar told ESPNcricinfo.“Don’t worry about what’s happening around you, keep your focus on what you want to achieve, and let your heart guide the way.”

Speaking at the launch of the Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy in North London, Tendulkar acknowledged that - in spite of the disappointment of the final result - Kohli deserved to be immensely proud of his personal achievement at Edgbaston.

However, he also warned that there could be no resting on any laurels for Kohli.“I can tell you from my own experience, however many runs you score they are never enough,” Tendulkar said.“The downfall starts when you are satisfied. It’s nice to be happy, but never be satisfied when you are a batsman,” he added.