"Kohli’s electric presence in the field, as much as anything, was missed" - Atherton feels Team India were devoid of energy in the 1st Test
Former England skipper Michael Atherton feels that Team India missed Virat Kohli's energy on the field during the series opener in Hyderabad, especially when the visitors crept ahead in the second innings, courtesy of a special knock by Ollie Pope.
Virat Kohli withdrew from the squad at the eleventh hour due to personal reasons, and is set to miss the upcoming second Test in Visakhapatnam as well. Team India sorely missed his batting ability in the middle order during the 28-run loss, and with senior players like Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul being laid-back figures on the field, the team missed his vibrant and buzzing presence as well.
“Rohit Sharma is a captain in a very different mould from his predecessor [Kohli] — at once more laid-back, albeit not quite so passive as MS Dhoni," Atherton wrote in his column for The Times ahead of the second Test.
"As England began to get ahead in Hyderabad, Kohli’s electric presence in the field, as much as anything, was missed. It would not have been hard to imagine the way he would have tried to whip up the crowd and the way his energy would have been transmitted to others," Atherton added.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan had also highlighted Virat Kohli's absence as one of the biggest factors behind Team India's unexpected defeat in the series opener.
Virat Kohli's fiery spirit was one of the biggest reasons behind Team India's historic win at Lord's in 2021, as well as several other famous wins in the recent past, especially during his tenure as the captain.
Despite not holding the leadership position, the ace batter still remains one of the most vocal figures on the field, trying to rile up the opposition batters and the crowd, while encouraging his teammates and discussing tactics with the captain from time to time.
"All the problems lie with India" - Michael Atherton on Team India's struggle to maintain balance in the playing XI
Ravindra Jadeja's hamstring injury comes as a huge headache for India, given what he brings to the table. The all-rounder's batting, bowling, and fielding abilities give the team a perfect balance, which they now have to restructure with less-experienced names. The spot for the third spinner is still wide open, with new call-ups Washington Sundar and Saurabh Kumar in contention along with Kuldeep Yadav.
"Washington Sundar, the off-spinning all-rounder who was called into the squad this week, weakens the bowling; Saurabh Kumar, the left-arm all-rounder, weakens the batting, as would Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist spin. All the problems lie with India," Atherton added.
Team India and England will lock horns in the second Test of the series in Vishakapatnam, which begins on Friday, February 2.
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