Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar showered praise on Virat Kohli for stepping up to bat at No. 3 on Day 2 of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru on Thursday (October 17). Kohli's decision came after India's regular one-drop batter, Shubman Gill, was ruled out with a stiff neck, pushing the star batter to take on the challenge of batting up the order.

Kohli's elevation to No. 3 in the batting order was a strategic decision following Gill's injury, with Sarfaraz Khan brought in to replace the young opener. However, the move did not work out as planned for Kohli, who was dismissed for a nine-ball duck. This comes after a string of underwhelming performances in the two-Test series against Bangladesh, where Kohli was expected to regain his form.

Despite the unfortunate result, Sanjay Manjrekar lauded Kohli's willingness to step up when the team needed him most. Manjrekar compared Kohli's selfless act to the greats of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who, despite their success in ODIs, were hesitant to move up the order in Test matches.

"Hats off to Virat Kohli! Coming out to bat at No. 3 because the team needed it. Ganguly and Tendulkar were very keen to open in white-ball cricket, but never wanted to go up the order in Tests. That's a true champion right there for you! Virat," Manjrekar wrote on X.

In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar further expressed his admiration for Kohli's decision: "My respect for Virat Kohli has gone up because we've seen many big names in the past refusing to budge from their position down the order, even if the team needed it desperately. Virat Kohli wasn't in the best of forms, but coming out to play in these tough conditions at No. 3 shows his commitment."

Although Kohli did not manage to score big, Manjrekar emphasized that the intent and willingness to adapt for the team's benefit were what stood out the most. "I know he didn’t get too many runs, but that act itself – pushing himself to No. 3 because it was going to help the team – is a great sign, and something we want to see more from our greats. Virat Kohli showed it, and I'm really happy about that," Manjrekar added.