Proud Anushka Sharma cheers for husband Virat Kohli who played a game-changing knock

Virat Kohli is an absolutely magical player. He knows how to lead from the front. He knows how to make a comeback when the chips are completely down. The Indian captain single-handedly bailed his team out of the trouble with a game-changing knock of 149 runs. He 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, the questions were raised on his game and his failures in 2014 tour were repeatedly being reminded. His nemesis James Anderson was keen to have a go at him and he 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 set 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. Yes, he edged a few times but was not poking hard at the ball which meant that the ball never carried to the slips. When he did edge one, Dawid Malan standing at the second slip failed to pouch a sitter.

Kohli controls the game

Virat Kohli was playing on 21 then and what transpired later could well define this five-match series. By the time he reached his half-century, India had lost 8 wickets with only 182 runs on the board. This is when Kohli’s leadership credentials came to the fore as started hogging more strike. Ishant Sharma first and then Umesh Yadav supported him brilliantly and ran superbly with him.

In the process, he notched up his 22nd Test century, probably his best knock away from home. But then, he is Kohli and not any other batsman. Even after reaching the ton, 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.

Finally, he was dismissed by Adil Rashid with India’s score only 13 runs away from parity 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:

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