Published: Jul 31, 2018, 09:07 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 31, 2018, 09:08 AM (IST)
Fans and critics may be unsure of India captain Virat Kohli‘s success in the upcoming five-Test series against England, but former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin thinks otherwise. “I think he will perform wonderfully well,” Azharuddin told AFP. “He has led India in so many Test matches, so I don’t think he will have any pressure now as far as leadership is concerned.”
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Kohli had done miserably in his only tour of England, in 2014, scoring 134 runs from five Tests at 13.40 and failing to reach forty even once. On the other hand, in every other country (barring Bangladesh, where he has batted only once), Kohli averages in excess of 36. Once he ‘conquers’ England, there will be little doubt regarding his supremacy in world cricket.
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A lot has changed as well in Kohli’s career since that tour. He became Indian captain as MS Dhoni retired abruptly later that winter, and became India’s captain in limited-overs cricket once Dhoni stepped down in 2016-17. At present Kohli is also universally acknowledged as the finest contemporary batsman across formats.
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Azhar knows a thing or two about batting in England, having scored 625 runs in the country at 41.67 — including the dazzling 121 at Lord’s in 1990.
