There is no doubt about the fact that the Indian skipper Virat Kohli is an absolutely magical player. He always leads by example and he knows how to make a comeback when the chips are completely down. He single-handedly bailed his team out of the trouble with a game-changing knock of 149 runs. Virat had his wife Anushka Sharma with him at Edgbaston which probably brought the best out of him as she was seen giving a standing ovation, much like the whole crowd, to her husband while he was going back to the dressing room.
Coming into this series, Kohli had faced immense scrutiny on his game and his failures in 2014 tour were repeatedly being reminded. His nemesis James Anderson was keen to have a go at Kohli and Jimmy got an opportunity soon as Kohli came out to bat with the team’s score reading 54/2. The ball was swinging a fairway and there was no doubt that his temperament was expected to be tested.
Anderson was brought into the attack for his second spell soon after he strode out to bat and the magnificent battle began. The veteran bowler kept on bowling the probing length to induce Kohli on the front foot and drive and he kept on leaving. When he did edge one, Dawid Malan standing at the second slip failed to pouch a sitter.
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Virat Kohli was playing on 21 then and what followed after that drop had set the tone for the Test match quite in India’s favor. By the time he reached his half-century, 8 wickets of the Indian innings were already fell with just 182 runs on the board. This is when Kohli’s leadership came in handy as he took as many strikes as possible in the over. Ishant Sharma first and then Umesh Yadav supported him brilliantly and ran superbly with him.
In the process, Virat notched up his 22nd Test century, probably his best knock away from home. But then, Kohli being himself, he was content with playing safe strokes and continued the same way he was playing until then. He went on score 149 runs with the same approach and completely nullified the lead of the opposition. Kohli became the fourth fastest batsman to reach the landmark of 22 Test centuries as he is only behind, Sir Don Brad, Sunil Gavaskar, and Steve Smith.
Finally, Virat was dismissed by Adil Rashid with India trailing by just 13 runs in the first innings. The stadium stood to applaud a magnificent and there was no doubt that his wife Anushka Sharma was absolutely proud of her husband. Her face was brimming with a smile as she clapped for him even as Kohli went back to the dressing room by soaking in all the applause.
Here’s the video:
https://instagram.com/p/BmAG-PTnHnO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_control
