"You might just take decisions that are not correct in hindsight" - Virat Kohli on Joe Root's tactical flaws at Lord's
Indian skipper Virat Kohli recently opined that a captain might make decisions that might look wrong in hindsight. Kohli added that skippers usually make such important decisions with the team's best interests in mind.
England skipper Joe Root received criticism from all corners for his bizarre tactics during the fifth day of the Lord's Test while Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were at the crease.
Root employed a short-pitched bowling strategy for the Indian lower-order players and kept fielders in the outfield anticipating thick edges. The plan failed as Bumrah and Shami batted well to help Kohli's men register an unlikely victory against England.
When asked about Joe Root's tactical flaws in the Lord's Test during a pre-match media conference on the eve of the third Test, Virat Kohli said:
"I don't know what the individual's mindset is. I am not in a position to answer that. You can make mistakes in planning at any given stage. It doesn't necessarily mean you are under pressure. You might just take decisions which are, in hindsight, not correct. As a captain, you will always try to make the best decisions you can for the team at that moment, and I am sure he was trying to do the same."
Kohli added:
"I can tell you from a personal experience that as a captain, you always want to make the best decision for your team at that given point. It might or might not be right in hindsight. You accept that, and if it's not right, you take it on the chin and move ahead as he did. And if it's right, you are just happy to know that the team benefited from those decisions."
England pacer Mark Wood has been ruled out of the third Test against India
Express pacer Mark Wood has failed to recover in time for the third Test following an injury he suffered during the Lord's Test. England have already lost Stuart Broad after the first Test to an injury. A media release from the ECB read:
"England seamer Mark Wood has been ruled out of the third Test against India with a jarred right shoulder. Wood sustained the injury on the fourth day of the second Test at Lordโs and will not be fit to play at Emerald Headingley starting on Wednesday. He will remain with the squad in Leeds and will continue his rehab with the England medical team. The 31-year-old will be assessed at the end of this Test match."