Virat Kohli scored a century in Trent Bridge. (Source: Reuters)
With India set to play the fourth Test against England from Thursday, former Indian seamer Mohinder Amarnath praised captain Virat Kohli for leading India to an incredible comeback victory against England in the third Test. In a column written for Times of India, the 67-year-old wrote, “It was a remarkable recovery by the Indian team in Nottingham. They showed they are at par with England and once again it was the captain, Virat Kohli, who played the main role. India were superb as a unit but you can only win when you have runs on the board, so the boys should take a leaf out of the captain’s book,” he said.
The 1983 World Cup winning batsman further went on to compare the 29-year-old with West Indies legend Vivian Richards. “What is great about Virat is that he is playing in testing conditions and being able to adjust very well. Playing in England is totally different from playing anywhere else in the world. He has made the necessary adjustment to his technique which has made all the difference. Once he occupies the crease, he is always looking for runs. He reminds me of Viv Richards, who would do the same thing. I’ve never seen anyone playing with so much authority, and so consistently. He is a match-winner. Whenever he performs India have always done well,” he wrote.
Amarnath further added that the India skipper has shown that pitch conditions do not matter as long as you deliver strong performance on the field. “I don’t know how the pitch at Southampton will play. There will probably be some grass since England know that the Indians play spin much better. To be honest, the pitch doesn’t matter much. As Virat showed, it doesn’t matter where you play, or in what conditions, you just have to go and perform,” he said.
The former Indian fast bowler also went on to give suggestions for the playing XI in the fourth Test. With Ravichandran Ashwin recovering from a groin strain and a hip stress, which he suffered during the third Test against England at Trent Bridge, Mohinder Amarnath named Ravindra Jadeja as the ideal replacement for him if he is unfit to play the fourth Test. “Despite his injury, Ashwin will definitely be in the scheme of things for the fourth Test. Should he not be able to play, Ravindra Jadeja is the best bet to replace him,” he wrote.
On talking about the opening combination, Amarnath added that he was happy to see Shikhar Dhawan getting back to the side. “As for the opening combination, I was glad to see Shikhar Dhawan back. He did look a bit vulnerable but who is not when you play in England? Barring Virat, the others have struggled, and on both sides. Shikhar and KL Rahul may not have scored very many runs but they gave India the necessary start,” he said.
India are currently trailing 1-2 in the 5-match Test series against England.