“That performance on the final day a big tick for Kohli’s captaincy” - David Gower hails Indian skipper for Oval triumph
Former England skipper David Gower has praised Indian captain Virat Kohli for his positive leadership during the fourth Test against the Englishmen at The Oval. According to Gower, Kohli must have maintained a good atmosphere in the dressing room, which is why India were able to fight back.
India had crumbled to 121 for 7 on the opening day of The Oval Test before recovering to post 191. Then, after conceding a 99-run first-innings lead, they responded with 466 in the second innings, eventually winning the Test by 157 runs.
Speaking to Cricket.com, Gower credited Kohli for inspiring the team amid the various ups and downs in the Test.
“In a game with so many ebbs and flows, one of the trickiest things as captain is what goes on in the dressing room - people don’t see this. It’s all about the atmosphere in that room. Is it a confident room? Is it a comfortable room? Is it a determined room? Is it a relaxed room? All these things come in,” Gower told the website.
The former England cricketer added that Kohli seems relaxed as a captain, which is a crucial aspect of leadership.
“He (Kohli) seems to be enjoying himself, he seems to be relaxed. And that is one of the most important jobs as a captain - to help create the atmosphere in the room. So when India compiled that 466 in the second innings, that atmosphere must have been important. That performance on the final day. To have that result in the bag so definitively is a big tick for Kohli’s captaincy,” Gower opined.
According to the former cricketer, there were many moments in the Test that changed the course of the match.
“The big irony about the whole game is that we were talking about Ashwin. But Shardul comes in and smashes it all around the park - wasn’t a big total but it was a much better total than what it might have been. That shot that Moeen played. It was not what the situation demanded. The situation demanded something different. The situation needed Moeen to get another 20-30, that would have changed the balance of the game,” Gower explained.
Rory Burns dropping Rohit Sharma towards the end of play on Day 2 also proved disastrous for England as the Indian opener went on to score a brilliant ton.
“I think it probably is” - Dawid Gower on whether this is the best Indian team to visit England
Following two spectacular wins in the ongoing Test series, critics are wondering whether this is the best Indian team to play in England. Gower agrees that it could be the case.
“I think it probably is (the best Indian side ever). When we started looking at the series before a ball had been bowled, we acknowledged that this is the best array of Indian seam bowlers we would have seen in this country, ever. The changes that have been made haven’t made a negative difference to the side. Any team that can leave out Ashwin consistently and still win games must be a very, very good team,” Gower pointed out.
The fifth and final Test of the India-England series begins at Old Trafford in Manchester from September 10.