Virat Kohli on Saturday said he is “feeling really free” mentally after producing another classic innings in India’s nine-wicket victory in Visakhapatnam.

“Honestly, playing the way I have in the series is the most satisfying thing for me. I feel really free in my mind. I haven’t played like this in two-three years,” Kohli said after his 65 not out off 45 balls on Saturday.

“I know when I can bat like that in the middle, it helps the team a long way. Makes me confident, any situation in the middle, I can handle that and bring it in favour of the team,” he added.

“When you play for that long — 15-16 years — you do doubt yourself. Especially as a batter when one mistake can get you out. It’s a whole journey of getting better and getting better as a person along the way. It improves you as a person and it improves temperament as well,” he said.

Gambhir livid

Gautam Gambhir has lashed out at people who spoke about split coaching after India’s Test series loss.

“Look, there was a lot of talk because the results didn’t go in our favour (in the Test series)... Some people also said things that have nothing to do with cricket. An IPL team owner also wrote about split coaching. So this is surprising. It’s very important for people to stay in their domain,” Gambhir said.