With an exciting 5 match series that began on 25th January 2024 between India and England at Hyderabad, it is clear that Team India under the management lead by coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma would miss the services of star ace Indian batter Virat Kohli for the first two tests against the visitor. Virat Kohli pulled out of India’s first two Tests against England for personal reasons.
Virat Kohli had spoken to captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention as said by BCCI . Prior to first test on 25th January 2024 ,Kohli reached Hyderabad, the venue of the first of five Tests, on Sunday, but did not attend India’s optional training session on Monday leading to the news that the star batter will miss the bus for the first 2 tests versus England at home.
India dismissed England for 292 runs in their second innings on day four to register a series-levelling 106-run win in the second Test. Resuming at 194 for six, England lost the remaining four wickets in the post-lunch session to be bowled out in 69.2 overs as India levelled the five-match series 1-1. India had scored 396 and 255 in their two innings, while England were dismissed for 253 in their first essay. India had lost the opening Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad.
Virat Kohli and his conundrum with national duty
Virat Kohli played India’s last Test series – the 1-1 draw in South Africa – and then missed the first T20I at home against Afghanistan for personal reasons before returning for the last two matches of the series. While Kohli was rested for the white-ball games in South Africa, he had returned to India and missed the preparatory three-day intra-squad match ahead of the two Tests there in the rainbow nation.
While it still remains a personal reason for Virat Kohli to opt out of the high octane test matches in the series which could decide its course after first 2 matches itself, the conundrum for Virat Kohli’s frequent misses from the national duty in the format which he adores the most i.e.: Test cricket still remains a question to many especially when crucial points ant the World Test Championships 2023-25 are at stake.
However Former Indian batter now coach Rahul Dravid respects Virat’s decision and opines that the loss of Virat Kohli would serve as an opportunity for youngsters and other players to rise up to the occasion versus the English men before the start of the series .
India dismissed England for 292 runs in their second innings on day four to register a series-levelling 106-run win in the second Test. Resuming at 194 for six, England lost the remaining four wickets in the post-lunch session to be bowled out in 69.2 overs as India levelled the five-match series 1-1. India had scored 396 and 255 in their two innings, while England were dismissed for 253 in their first essay. India had lost the opening Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad.
With the series poised even 1-1 heading to Rajkot, it is evident that post Virat Kohli’s return India’s fragile middle order will be bolstered. But the news from some media centers are not that exciting stating that Virat Kohli may be out for the entire 5 match series.
Former England skipper now commentator Naseer Hussain felt the lack of aggression Indian middle order showed in absence of Virat Kohli is something to worry about for India in future.
Virat Kohli is an aggressive cricketer- Nasser Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes that India failed to dominate the visitors with the bat during the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Vizag, respectively. The 55-year-old pointed out that the batting unit looked out of sorts apart from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul in the two matches.
The comments came as the majority of Indian batters, including skipper Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and KS Bharat, failed to play big knocks in the two matches
On Wednesday (February 7), Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports:
“He’s [Virat Kohli] an aggressive cricketer. He’s in your face cricketer, but actually, I think with the bat, in three of the four innings, India haven’t quite been ruthless as they would’ve liked to be,”
He continued:
“It’s 1-1 and they’ve batted very well. The likes of KL Rahul batted well, and Shubman Gill and young Jaiswal, with his double hundred, played brilliantly, but if you ask Rahul Dravid,”
Indian batters under the scanner of Naseer Hussain were mainly Rohit Sharma 90 runs in four innings at an average of 22.50 Shreyas Iyer 104 runs in four innings at an average of 26 and wicket keeper batter KS Bharat 92 runs in four innings at an average of 23,
In Virat Kohli’s absence none of them were able to score 100s – Claims Naseer Hussain post India’s lost by 28 runs in Hyderabad
Nasser Husain, meanwhile, pointed out that players failing to score big was the prime reason behind India and England’s losses in the first and second Tests. The cricketer-turned-commentator reacted as Ollie Pope (196), Yashaswi Jaiswal (209) and Shubman Gill (104) were the only batters to score centuries in the first two Tests. He said:
“England’s problems in the second Test match, apart from Crawley, there were a lot of 30s and 40s, and they may look good on the scorecard, but they don’t win you Test matches, and that was similar with India in Hyderabad,”
Hussain continued:
“None of their batters went on to get a 100 and a big hundred, and if you look at the second Test with Jaiswal getting the double hundred in the first innings and Shubman Gill getting a 100 in the second innings, that’s what wins you Test matches,”
Hussain also urged the players to stick to their natural game by citing the examples of ‘attacking’ Jaiswal and ‘classy’ Gill to try and pile up big runs in the Test series. He said:
“However, you wanna do it, you can do it in an attacking way like Jaiswal did or in a classy way like Shubman Gill did. That’s what Dravid would be trying and knock home into that team. ‘If we’re gonna miss the runs of Kohli, we can’t be getting 60s and 70s, we need big runs’,”
He added:
“That applies to England as well. A lot of batters got in and got out in Vizag and that’s something they need to put it right,”
England batters under the scanner of Naseer Hussain were mainly Ben Stokes 134 runs in four innings at an average of 33.50 Ben Duckett – 131 runs in four innings at an average of 32.75 Jonny Bairstow – 98 runs in four innings at an average of 24.50 Ben Foakes – 80 runs in four innings at an average of 20. Meanwhile, England opener Zak Crawley also threw his wicket in the 70s in both innings during the second Test.
India despite not having Virat Kohli to their ranks will look to toppled England side under the able leadership of Rohit Sharma and the bowling attack bolstered with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin at Vizag too be 1-1 at midway heading to Rajkot for the third test and with likes of KL Rahul AND Ravindra Jadeja bound to return India’s middle order would now look to make amends in forthcoming tests sans Virat Kohli.