But after a few months of no century, that nagging little voice became louder. “You haven’t scored a century in ages,” it chided to Kohli “you’ve lost it, you’re terrible,”. Usually, Kohli ignores the little voice but that was when he scored century after century, brimming with confidence. But now he wasn’t, so he listened. But then it started nagging Kohli about the thing sportspeople fear most: letting others down. “You’re not paying back the love your fans give you,” it scolded “You’re letting the team down.” The prospect of letting others down would hurt anyone but none more than Virat Kohli.

He is the figurehead for 1.4 billion people’s dreams. He is the subject of immense adoration but also the victim of the darkest of hate. Kohli is the captain of the world’s craziest nation in the sport they are most crazed about. And then combine that with the cruel nature of batsmanship: one slight error could end your contribution for the day. One slight error could enrage a nation. The pressure is something that you and I can’t even imagine. It’s a miracle that Kohli has thrived in it for so long.

But now he has succumbed to it and there’s nothing wrong with that. Virat Kohli is an imperfect, oxygen-consuming human performing one of the most mentally taxing roles in sport. He was always bound to have a period of drought like this. But has this drought endured for too long? It probably has. But what’s in the past is in the past; it’s time for Kohli to forge on to the future. Greatness isn’t how well you do when things are going swimmingly, it’s how you bounce back when the going gets tough. Kohli has done it before but can he do it again?