ENG vs IND 2018: Virat Kohli should take responsibility as captain for India's loss, says Nasser Hussain

Nasser pointed to a tactical mistake from Kohli on Day 3 at Edgbaston.

Nasser Hussain and Virat Kohli

Former England Captain Nasser Hussain believes that despite his gritty effort with the bat in both innings that singlehanded kept India in the game till they eventually lost on Day 4, Indian skipper Virat Kohli "should too take some responsibility" for his side's 31-run defeat by the home side at Edgbaston. 

Virat scored 149 and 51 in the game but Nasser specifying a major chink in Kohli's captaincy on Day 3 of the game, said on Sky Sports, "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," 

"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 thinks the game was a terrific advert for Test match Cricket and said, "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."

Suggesting a massive change in the game is played, Hussain also said, "The template for Test cricket has been set and I don't see why the ICC can't just use the Dukes ball around the world. It produces exciting cricket, so why don't the ICC go down that road?"

He concluded by praising the young Sam Curran for making the matchwinning contribution for his side, and 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 the character in abundance,"

(Inputs from PTI)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 05 Aug, 2018

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