ENG vs IND 2018: Virat Kohli has a bunch of players who believe in him: Ray Illingworth

India will bounce back in Southampton, believes Illingworth.

Kohli's aggression impressed Illingworth. (Getty)

Former England skipper Ray Illingworth in a recent chat with TOI spoke about Virat Kohli, the going Test series between England and India, his dear friend late Ajit Wadekar. 

Interestingly, Ray Illingworth led England when Ajit Wadekar won the first Test series for India in England back in 1973. Ray also believes that despite trailing in the series, India will bounce back in the last two games against England. 

When asked about Wadekar's death ray replied " Oh yes I did. He was a good captain with the resources that he had and was a difficult player to dislodge. It was quite something to come to England without quality swing bowlers and win a series". 

He then said that Indian pacers have revolutionized their cricket and that is one big difference from the Indian team of the old. "This pace attack can put a lot of teams under pressure. Add to that the fitness and fielding standards, which have gone up so much in the last few years."

He then kept his opinion on Virat Kohli, the Indian captain. " He is obviously a great batsman, right up there with the best that I have seen from India. The best thing about his batting is the way he adapts himself to different formats and is successful. And for a captain to succeed, there are two things that are essential — you have to be intuitive and you need to perform. I think Kohli is doing both the things well. He has a bunch of players who believe in him and they are ready to fight for him. In addition to that, there's so much backup from technology and you know how to deal with situations with a support staff ready to help you out. It definitely makes the job of the captain easier" said Ray. 

He finally concluded his interaction keeping his view on the way the series has panned out so far. "Birmingham was a great Test match but in Lord's India was at the receiving end of the weather. They were always up against it and it made a difference. In Nottingham, they gave the impression that they are coming back to their true potential. The batsmen adjusted well and then, of course, the bowlers did the job. It was a great win for them" Ray concluded saying. 

 
 

By Anshuman Roy - 26 Aug, 2018

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