“Ravi Shastri will let Kohli leave. He doesn’t mind him yelling at Anderson or signalling from the balcony to get the players out of the way. “The captain is in charge,” Hussain remarked.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain complimented Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s relationship for the team’s success. Asked whether Shastri would stop Kohli from hitting the opposition’s best cricketer, Hussain replied no.
“Ravi Shastri will let Kohli leave. He doesn’t mind him yelling at Anderson or signalling from the balcony to get the players out of the way. “The skipper is very much in charge,” Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail column ahead of Wednesday’s third Test at Headingley.
During India’s second innings at Lord’s, Kohli and Anderson exchanged barbs. Anderson seemed to have sledged the Indian skipper first, as heard on the stump mic.
The Kohli-Anderson verbal battle was part of one of the most heated Tests between the two teams. India won the match by 151 runs to lead the five-match series 1-0.
“Kohli symbolises a modern India that will not be bullied. It’s just that he doesn’t run the game,” Hussain remarked.
Hussain praised Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma for their unwavering backing for Kohli and his aggressive style of play.
“Perhaps more important are Kohli’s older teammates. Rohit Sharma was correct to gripe about the light, and both he and Rahane are vital to India’s strategy. Rohit may seem cool and collected, yet he is motivated to succeed.
The captain can’t do everything, and Kohli can follow the ball a little. “What is he doing it for?” you wonder at times. This is when he would call on his lieutenants,” he said.