'The non-selection of Ravi Ashwin for the 4th Test became irrelevant' - Nasser Hussain lavishes praise on Virat Kohli's captaincy skills

The Indian cricket team produced a superb performance on the field in the 4th Test match against England at The Oval. The Virat Kohli-led side walloped the Joe Root-led outfit by a margin of 157 runs to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match Test series.

And, former England skipper Nasser Hussain has showered praise on Virat Kohli and the Indian team. Hussain opined that the fifth day was a test of Kohli’s captaincy skills, and the Indian skipper passed the test with flying colours.

Hussain further reckoned that the pitch at The Oval did not help the seamers, but India still managed to pick up 10 wickets on the final day. The 53-year-old Hussain added that every bowling change that Kohli did worked for the Indian side.

“I said at the start of the fifth day that it was going to be a big test of Virat Kohli’s captaincy and he passed that test with flying colours. That Oval pitch offered very little for the seamers and only a bit of rough for Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin.

But somehow, he manufactured 10 English wickets on the last day. Every bowling change worked, and so did every tweak to the field. And when he took the second new ball after tea, it produced a wicket straightaway, with Umesh Yadav getting Craig Overton,” wrote Nasser Hussain for The Daily Mail.

Everything Virat Kohli touched turned into gold: Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain also added that the 4th Test match was a Midas Test for Virat Kohli, as whatever he touched turned into gold. Adding that the non-selection of Ravichandran Ashwin in the Indian squad for the 4th Test became irrelevant, Hussain concluded by adding that Kohli backed his seamers to do the job, and the Indian seamers repaid the faith.

“One way or another, this was Kohli’s Midas Test everything he touched turned to gold, and India are now one game away from a famous series victory, not long after beating Australia in their own backyard.

Even the non-selection of Ravichandran Ashwin, the top-ranked spinner in Test cricket, became irrelevant. People said India would miss him. Kohli said: ‘No, we won’t. I’m backing our seamers to do the job.’ And he was right,” concluded Nasser Hussain.