Former Indian fast bowler, Ashish Nehra reckons that the Indian team missed captain Virat Kohli’s ability with the bat during the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. Nehra also felt that there was no lack of on-field intensity from Team India despite the absence of Kohli as the KL Rahul-led team lost the game by seven wickets.
For South Africa, skipper, Dean Elgar played an unbeaten 96 from captain Dean Elgar to chase down a target of 240. Rahul was captain of the team for the match with Kohli ruled out with a back spasm just hours before the start of play on the first day.
During a chat in Cricbuzz, Ashish Nehra said, “I think first of all, India missed Virat Kohli, the batsman. Yes, they certainly missed his intensity as a captain as well, but I wouldn’t say that the team’s intensity had gone down because of that. You could hear their voices. Rishabh Pant could be heard constantly, so could Jasprit Bumrah. So if you start talking like that every time India lose, there is no end to it.”
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Ashish Nehra pointed out that Kohli was captain when India crashed to a defeat in the first Test of their 2020/21 tour of Australia, with the team being all out for a record low score of 36 runs in their second innings. Kohli returned to India to witness the birth of his child but India went on to record a remarkable second consecutive series win in the country in his absence.
Recalling the same, Ashih Nehra said, “Kohli was there when India was all out for 36 in Australia. But then he was not there and India went on to win the series. So you see a lot of different things. Kohli is experienced and does put the other team under pressure on the field. They missed him as a batter but I don’t believe that if he was there India would have won the Test match.”
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He further added, “It is never about one player. He does bring that intensity but his absence did not make such a big difference that India just went silent. India’s shoulders did not drop after they conceded a few runs. That first half-hour of the day was crucial and South Africa just got closer and closer.”
