Virat Kohli-led India lost the first Test against England on Saturday. (Source: File)
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said that India skipper Virat Kohli must take some responsibility for India’s agonizing loss in the first Test at Edgbaston. Stating that the 31-year-old was phenomenal with the bat, Hussain maintained Kohli needs to look back at his captaincy and ponder over some of the decisions he took on the field.
“Kohli was phenomenal in this game. He deserved to be on the winning side for the way he played with the tail. He singlehandedly brought India back into the Test match. I do think he should take some of the responsibility for the loss, though,” Hussain told Sky Sports.
Hussain was particularly critical of Kohli’s decision to take off Ashwin when Sam Curran came into bat. “England were 87-7 with Curran and Adil Rashid at the crease and for some reason, Ravichandran Ashwin went out of the game for an hour. India lost control then – he needs to look back on his captaincy and say ‘when I’ve got a bloke who averages 19 against left-handers and a 20-year-old left-hander on strike, why did I take him off?” Hussain wondered.
Echoing Joe root Hussain also said that England’s 1000th Test was a great advert for the longer format of the game.
“The pitch has a lot to do with that – it wasn’t a flat belter – and so have the players. The standard of bowling and captaincy (has been great). I think Joe Root has been outstanding in this game. A lot of times nowadays we see one side get ahead in Test matches and series and then the other doesn’t seem capable of fighting back. This match has switched one way and then the other,” he said.
Praising rookie Sam Curran, the 51-year-old said, “He has won England this game. India might say Kohli got 200 runs but who turned this game around? A 20-year-old. It’s a phenomenal achievement. He changed the course of two innings. He came on with India 50-0 and pitched it up, swung it and got four for nothing and he then went in with England 87-7.
“After his first game you thought he was maybe a bits-and-pieces cricketer and wondered whether he was quick enough, could move it enough and if he was a proper batsman. I always used to say ‘pick someone on their character more than what they are showing in county cricket’. He has character in abundance,” Hussain concluded.