"He is ready to lose a few matches at the cost of making Test cricket more interesting" - Deep Dasgupta lauds Virat Kohli's captaincy
Former Indian wicket-keeper batter Deep Dasgupta lauded the attacking instinct of Indian skipper Virat Kohli. He believes that Virat Kohli’s desire to win ensured that the second Test at Lord’s did not culminate in a tame draw.
Virat Kohli declared their innings a couple of overs after Lunch on Day 5, setting England a target of 272 runs from 60 overs.
Deep Dasgupta points out that it would have been easier for any captain to let the batters go on until they got out rather than try to force a result. He said:
“There could have been an easier thought there saying, you know what, the bowlers must be tired, just got what 60 odd overs. Maybe just let them bat for as long as possible. But something that we have seen under Virat’s captaincy is, he is ready to make Test matches more interesting, more entertaining."
Dasgupta hailed Kohli's attacking mindset.
"Making sure that the Test matches are result-oriented. He is ready to kind of, you know, he is alright losing a few Test matches at the cost of making Test matches more interesting,” Deep Dasgupta said on BBC’s Test Match Special podcast.
Virat Kohli has time and again displayed a desire to go for a win irrespective of the odds. This has been rather clear right from his captaincy debut, when India tried valiantly to chase down 364 runs at Adelaide, only to fall short by 48 runs.
A draw could have been a long shot for the Virat Kohli-led side coming into Day 5
The odds were stacked up against India coming into Day 5 of the Lord’s Test. The lead was just 154 runs and Rishabh Pant had the company of only four seam bowlers to propel the score.
When Pant fell early, very few had any idea of the drama that was to unfold. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah combined to script an unbroken stand of 89 runs and set a target of 272 runs for England.
The Indian bowlers did not need the whole of 60 overs to dismiss the hosts. The last English wicket fell in the 52nd over of the innings with England eventually falling short by 151 runs.