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“Everything he touched turned to gold” – Nasser Hussain on Virat Kohli
By SMCS - Sep 7, 2021 4:05 pm
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Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised Virat Kohli’s captaincy on the final day of the fourth Test at The Oval. Kohli once again showed a masterclass on the final day to restrict England and secure a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series as well.

Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain

While writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Hussain referred to it as “Kohli’s Midas Test”: “Every bowling change worked, and so did every tweak to the field. And when he took the second new ball after tea, it produced a wicket straightaway, with Umesh Yadav getting Craig Overton. One way or another, this was Kohli’s Midas Test – everything he touched turned to gold, and India are now one game away from a famous series victory, not long after beating Australia in their own backyard.”

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However, with this, Virat Kohli became the first captain to lead India to three Test wins in England. He also opened up about the difference between the two captains using their spinners. While he was critical of England captain Joe Root, who brought in Moeen Ali very late, Kohli stuck with spin at one end to keep his pace bowlers fresh at the other end as well.

rohit sharma
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

He added: “Kohli also used Jadeja cleverly – in a way that Root failed to do with Moeen Ali on the fourth day. By keeping his spinner on at one end, India’s captain could rotate the quicks at the other, using them in short, sharp bursts and keeping them fresh. By ignoring Moeen, Root ended up bowling his seamers into the ground, with possible consequences for the fifth Test at Old Trafford.”

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Nasser Hussain again explained: “Jadeja performed another important function too, aside from the important wickets of Haseeb Hameed and Moeen. He was landing it in the rough outside the right-hander’s leg stump, which created the conditions for reverse-swing, because it allowed them to keep one side rough and the other side smooth.”