Published 18:44 IST, February 10th 2021
'If India lose 2nd Test, it would be end of Virat Kohli's captaincy': ex-England bowler
Former England cricketer Monty Panesar has opined that Virat Kohli would lose his captaincy if Team India lost the second Test against England in Chennai
Following Team India's defeat in the first Test at Chepauk, former England cricketer Monty Panesar has opined that Virat Kohli would lose his captaincy if the Men in Blue lost the second Test as well. Panesar's remarks come amid the talks of split captaincy and criticism of Kohli's leadership in wake of the team's performance under him. India's defeat in Chennai against England on Wednesday marked the 4th straight loss under Virat Kohli's captaincy. With Ajinkya Rahane's heroics in Australia, where he led an injury-marred team to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the current vice-captain's name has also been propped up often for replacing Kohli.
In an interview with CricBouncer, Monty Panesar acknowledged that the toss would be a 'crucial factor' in the second Test as well, adding that whoever wins would look to bat first. While he asserted that England look 'strong' at the moment, Panesar highlighted that the Men in Blue would have to review their team selection and hinted at the inclusion of chinaman Kuldeep Yadav.
On Kohli's captaincy, Panesar said, "The crowd's coming back, so it would be interesting to see how England react when that happens. If India lose another test match, I think it would be the end of Virat Kohli’s captaincy. So there’s a lot to be played for and can’t wait for the second match."
After India's 227-run defeat in Chennai, several fans criticised Virat Kohli for his captaincy and the team selection at the Chepauk. Kohli faced flak for dropping Kuldeep Yadav from the despite having said that the chinaman was in 'the scheme of things' on the match eve. Yadav, who has been warming the bench for over a year now, was skipped from the playing XI even when he was expected to play considering the turning pitch at Chepauk.
Meanwhile, Kohli defended the team selection by stating that he had 'no regrets' and was pretty clear about the combination for the first Test. "We were quite clear on what we wanted to play, what combination we wanted to play. There are no regrets whatsoever on that decision. Moving forward, we will think of combinations, which brings us variety as a bowling attack. And not one dimensional, turning away from the bat. These things are very important to bat" he said after the match.
India drop down to 4th position
Courtesy the 227-run win in Chennai, England have kept their hopes alive of making it to the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's with New Zealand having booked their place in the finale. Root & Co. leapt over Australia and New Zealand and dethroned India with 70.2% points in their bag. India have been reduced to the fourth spot on the table with 68.3%. At present, Australia have 69.2% points and sit on the third position in the World Test Championship table. The Men in Blue can still seal the finale berth if they manage to win the 4-match Test series either by defeating England with a result of 2-1 or 3-1. On the other hand, England can beat Kohli & Co. to the finale spot by winning the Test series with either 3-0, 3-1 or 4-0 result.
Updated 18:44 IST, February 10th 2021