Indian skipper Virat Kohli played a decent knock of 72 runs in the 2nd innings of the 1st Test. He tried his level best to finish the game in a draw. But, he didn’t get any support from any other batsmen on the side. However, he looked in fine batting form and he was smashing the bowlers all across the park before he was clean bowled by the English all-rounder Ben Stokes. And, looking forward to his brilliant batting in 1st Test, Ashish Nehra, the former Indian pacer feels that Kohli will be up for a marathon knock going ahead in the series.
2020 didn’t go down well for the Indian skipper as far as his batting is concerned. He failed to score a single-ton in the calendar year. This was the first time in the last 10 years when Kohli couldn’t manage a century with the willow. And, in 2021, he missed out on a big opportunity of scoring a century against England in the home Test.
Ashish Nehra Backs Virat Kohli To Score A Marathon Knock-In 2nd Test
During an interview, Ashish Nehra said that if India wins the toss in the 2nd Test then Virat Kohli will manage a remarkable marathon knock. He also praised Kohli’s mindset, who didn’t play a single rash stroke in the tough situations of the game as well.
“You are talking about one or two centuries, I would say when India wins the toss, he will score 250 also. This is the special thing about Virat Kohli. When Ashwin got out, he knew that they would lose the match but he did not play any airy-fairy shots.
“He kept at it which you need to do on the fourth and fifth days on a subcontinent pitch. The desire makes this player different from others and it is not only here when he couldn’t score runs in England, very few people would have seen Virat Kohli lunging forward to play the defensive shots. To do that, you need fitness,” Nehra concluded.
“He takes pride in scoring his own runs, that he should not get out. Anyone would have got out to the ball he was dismissed, it kept extremely low,” Ashish Nehra said on Star Sports.
“He kept at it which you need to do on the fourth and fifth days on a subcontinent pitch. The desire makes this player different from others and it is not only here when he couldn’t score runs in England, very few people would have seen Virat Kohli lunging forward to play the defensive shots. To do that, you need fitness,” Nehra concluded.
