ENG vs IND 2018: Kohli's form, R. Ashwin's bowling augurs well for India, says Venkatesh Prasad

Prasad thinks India's batting seems very highly reliant on Virat Kohli.

 Venkatesh Prasad (AFP)

Former fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has come out and said that despite the loss, the fact that this young Indian side fought admirably in the first Test at Edgbaston is a very good sign for the rest of the series.

Prasad thinks Virat Kohli's brilliant form with the bat and Ravichandran Ashwin's best performance in a Test outside Asia and West Indies augurs really well for India's chances to make a come back in the five-game competition. Being a fast bowler himself, Prasad also praised Ishant Sharma for his magnificent spell on Day 3. 

Prasad, after the game in Birmingham, was quoted saying, “Despite the defeat, Kohli’s form and the bowling of R. Ashwin and Ishant Sharma augured well for India. The team needs to keep the belief,”

Prasad also thinks that the present Indian team lacked someone such as Virender Sehwag, opening the innings, who could've taken the attack to the opposition and disrupt opposition's bowling plans in the run chase. Prasad believes India desperately needs someone to support the might of Virat Kohli from the other end. 

He said, “Particularly when you chase a low total below 200 as at Birmingham, a Sehwag sizzler can make all the difference. He can get the field to spread out which can make things easier for the other batsmen too, In the present Indian team, too much hinges on Virat Kohli. The others should contribute too. They need to get their footwork worked out to counter the swing and seam movement in England.”

"While Kohli held firm in the Indian second innings at Birmingham, India should have attacked the bowling from other end. While defending low scores, if runs come quickly, the bowling side can panic,” 

(Inputs from Sportstar)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 05 Aug, 2018

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