"Don't think Smith or Joe Root or Williamson can even think of the type of pressure" - Parthiv Patel and Tamim Iqbal sympathize with Virat Kohli
Ex-Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel and Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal believe Virat Kohli faces more pressure than the other three members of the 'Fab 4' (Steven Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root). The duo pointed out that the right-hander is expected to score a century every time he walks out to bat.
Having registered two low scores in the opening Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, Kohli remains under the scanner heading into the second fixture. The 35-year-old's dismissal to spin in the second innings in Chennai has also raised questions about his approach against the slower bowlers.
Speaking ahead of the second Test, Parthiv claimed, as quoted by India Today:
"I don't think he's feeling that kind of pressure. And as you rightly mentioned that, I don't think Smith or Joe Root or Williamson can even think of the type of pressure he must be feeling. The pressure of expectation, that is huge. He has set his standard so high that even if he scores 60 or 70, that comes across as a failure. Because every time he walks in, we expect him to score 100. We expect him to play with that kind of intensity, which he has always been playing."
The former Indian captain had struggled for a Test hundred for almost two years until he broke the drought in March 2023. Kohli's last Test ton came in July 2023.
Tamim Iqbal lauds Virat Kohli for winning matches single-handedly in white-ball cricket
In the same conversation, Tamim Iqbal noted that the Indian great's legacy in the white-ball arena is unparalleled and that the other three are nowhere close. He said:
"And also, I think yes in Test match cricket, the Fab 4 that we are talking about have done wonders. Because in Test match cricket, basically as a batter, you can't win a game single-handedly. There are two innings and everything. But we also call them Fab 4 in white-ball cricket and hands down, in what Kohli has done for India, amount of games that he has won single-handedly, I'm pretty sure none of the other three has won that many of the games. And as you mentioned because of the amount of pressure that he goes through, I think those three combined do not have the similar pressure."
Meanwhile, India won the toss and opted to bowl first in the second Test against Bangladesh. You can follow the live proceedings here.