• Captain hits 149 before Cook falls for duck to end day two
Virat Kohli, the single-handed hero, produced the innings of a lifetime to keep his side in what has become a wonderfully volatile game of cricket. The Indian captain began myopically under examination from Jimmy Anderson but finished majestically against any bowler summoned up by Joe Root. His innings of 149 spanned three sessions and lasted 225 balls and without it India’s chances of victory in this Test match would have long disappeared. The next highest score in India’s 274 all out was Shikhar Dhawan’s 26.
Kohli’s imperious strokeplay in the evening sunshine was all too familiar, yet in a sense the most impressive element of his innings was his early struggle against Anderson, who dismissed him cheaply so often four years ago. Here he displayed the humility of a great player; there were no flowery strokes against Anderson; he was hellbent upon no more than survival. He was prepared to graft like a mortal. Anderson kept probing; Kohli kept prodding. Ostensibly not much happened and yet this was a riveting, high-class contest from which both players emerged with credit.
Written by Vic Marks at Edgbaston
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/02/england-india-first-test-day-two-match-report under the title “India fight back as Virat Kohli’s brilliant century frustrates England”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
