Right-handed batter Rajat Patidar was called up to replace Virat Kohli in India’s first two Test matches against England
Our Bureau
Mumbai
India’s batting talisman Virat Kohli is set to miss the third and fourth Test matches against England in Rajkot and Ranchi. The former India skipper also stays doubtful for the final match of the series against England in Dharamshala. Kohli had earlier withdrawn from the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons.
“Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming Test series against England, citing personal reasons,” BCCI said had said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the cricket’s top governing body in the country requested the media and fans to respect Kohli’s privacy during this time.
“The BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli’s privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons. The focus should remain on supporting the Indian cricket team as they embark on the upcoming challenges in the Test series.”
Right-handed batter Rajat Patidar was called up to replace Virat Kohli in India’s first two Test matches against England. Patidar made his international debut on December 21 last year against South Africa in the 3rd ODI match, where he opened for the ‘Men in Blue’ and scored 22 runs from 16 balls with a strike rate of 137.50.
India lost the first Test by 28 runs and won the second by 106 runs in the five-match series. Virat was last in action during the T20I series against Afghanistan last month, in which he scored a quickfire 29 and a golden duck in two matches he played.
Meanwhile, former England captain Nasser Hussain said that India has not been as ruthless with the bat in the absence of star Indian batter Virat Kohli during the first two Tests against England at home.
India has drawn level the five-match series 1-1 and Virat missed the first two Tests due to personal reasons. The batter is set to miss the third and fourth Test matches against England in Rajkot and Ranchi as well, according to a report from ESPNcricinfo. The former India skipper also is doubtful for the final match of the series against England in Dharamshala, the report said.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser said that without Virat’s aggression and “in-your-face” attitude, India has suffered in their batting.
“He is [Virat Kohli] an aggressive cricketer. He is an in-your-face cricketer, but actually, I think with the bat, in three of the four innings, India have not quite been ruthless as they would have liked to be,” said Nasser.
“It is 1-1 and they have batted very well. The likes of KL Rahul batted well, and Shubman Gill and young Jaiswal, with his double hundred, played brilliantly.”
He also said that the Indian batters are facing a lot of soft dismissals in the series, something Virat does not face as he is “driven by runs and winning games.”
“There have been some soft dismissals in that Indian batting lineup, and it has left him vulnerable at times. One thing Kohli is with batting is ruthless. He does not do soft dismissals. He is driven by getting runs and winning games. So, they will miss that. Any side would miss the class of Virat Kohli,” he said.
Nasser Hussain backed Virat Kohli’s decision to prioritise his private life but believes that his absence will be a big “blow” for India.
Nasser hailed Kohli for the contribution that he has made in his career which has spanned over 15 years and feels that any team would miss the presence of a batter who has a stature like the 3-year-old.
KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja also missed the second Test due to injuries. For Nasser if Rahul is fit and is able to regain fitness for the third Test, he would be a player who could add to India’s batting depth.
“Kohli and his family and his private life have to come first, so it’s a blow for India, but as we’ve seen, they’ve got a lot of very good young batters. But KL Rahul, who was injured for the last game, played brilliantly in the last few months for India and in all formats. I think he’ll come back in, so he’ll add to their batting,” Hussain added.
India have also an option to hand Sarfaraz Khan a Test debut who has been in a blistering form in domestic cricket.
