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'India need Virat Kohli to score a ton now more than ever': Former player explains why visitors hope ex-captain fires
Virat Kohli had scored a masterful century the last time India played a Test match at Edgbaston but he has not been able to cross the three-figure mark for over three years.
Virat Kohli had put up a masterclass the last time India played a Test match at Edgbaston, scoring 149 off 225 balls in the first innings as he carried his team to a total of 274. It was a start of a series that proved Kohli's status as the best batter at the time across formats, even though India ended up losing the series 4-1.
India play a Test match at the venue for the first time since then whey they face England for their postponed fifth Test on Friday and a lot has changed for Kohli in this period. He is no longer captain of the Indian team and he has been unable to score a century in any format for over three years.
India go into the match without openers KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma. In fact, among the senior Indian batters who played in England during the 2018 series, it is only Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara who are playing in the fifth Test. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has said that this makes it imperative for Kohli to fire in this match.
“If at all the team needs a big score from Kohli, it would be now. It is an inexperienced batting lineup and he is somebody who needs runs very badly. He has come after a break. So you are hoping that he turns it around, will be mentally fresh,” said Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo.
Jaffer said that at his best, Kohli used to help India recover whenever the likes of Pujara and Rahane did not fire. While Pujara had not played the 2018 Test in Edgbaston, Rahane was dismissed for 15. In fact, the highest score after Kohli's 149 was opener Shikhar Dhawan's 26.
“In this Test match, more than any other time, Indian team needs Virat Kohli to really fire and play a defining knock. Many a times we have seen that when Ajinkya Rahane or Cheteshwar Pujara haven't stood up, he has covered it up. But I think more than any other time, India needs him in this series-defining Test match,” said Jaffer.
