Ind vs Eng 2022: 3 reasons why Virat Kohli's form is crucial against England
Virat Kohli playing football during practice was one of the news reports doing the rounds, as India prepare for the fifth and final Test against England that was originally slated to be played last year.
It's not surprising that he will be the cynosure of all eyes leading up to the series and when he walks out to bat. His form has been a cause for concern. Kohli's last century came in 2019 and he has been in a slump ever since.
Adding more spice to the tussle are the changes both teams have made since their last encounter. Rohit Sharma replaced Kohli as India's skipper, while Rahul Dravid took over as head coach from Ravi Shastri. Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum now lead a revitalized English side.
England head into the Birmingham Test on the back of some impressive cricket. At the time of writing, they lead 2-0 in the three-match Test series against New Zealand, and that makes the challenge even tougher for Kohli when he walks out to bat.
After a lean IPL 2022 that saw him prop up just two half-centuries for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Virat Kohli will look to turn his fortunes around against a crack English unit. On that note, we look at three reasons why an in-form Kohli matters.
#1 The absence of KL Rahul at the top
With KL Rahul missing out on the Test against England, the pressure is on Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara to deliver considering the dip in form that Rohit Sharma is experiencing.
While Pujara has been stellar in his county stints even as India's big guns play in the IPL, he will be wary of the swing and pace that James Anderson and Stuart Broad can generate to put them in trouble, especially Gill, who last played a Test in December last year.
Rahul's absence at the top puts the spotlight on Virat Kohli, who hasn't been amid some runs himself. All eyes will be on the former skipper should the top 3 be dismissed early.
#2 An opportunity to seal the series he almost won
What better way to extend the already 2-1 series by winning the last Test? The last time India played England, Virat Kohli was leading the side, but a lot has changed since then.
While Sharma is the new skipper, all eyes will be on Kohli who, at the time of writing, has already been generating headlines. Good knocks from him in both innings and a win would mean he could cap out the series that he led his side with.
#3 Virat Kohli's chance to regain his mojo
An extended run slump saw Virat Kohli be the subject of discussion each time he went out to bat. His last five Test innings read 44, 0, 36, 35, an 18. He made just four half-centuries in longer format games in 2021
A good innings against a rather formidable England side will perhaps see him make the much-awaited comeback. Former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin backed him to come good in the final Test.
"When Kohli gets a 50, it seems he has failed, of course, he has not done much this year. Everybody, even the best, goes through a bad phase in their career. Kohli has been playing a lot of cricket and now that he has got a little break, hopefully, he will come back to form in England," Azhar told GulfNews.