Virat Kohli put a lot of thought into his difficulties; we shouldn't be too hard on him: Nasser Hussain

Indian skipper Virat Kohli indeed played an innings of substance during Day 1 of the fourth Test against England. With the Kennington Oval track favouring the fast bowlers, the visitors suffered batting collapse. However, Kohli batted with precision and scored a valiant half-century. While he tackled the challenging deliveries with precision, the loose ones were dispatched for boundaries.

He even looked set to play a big knock. However, fast bowler Ollie Robinson accounted for his wicket right after Kohli reached his fifty. Former England captain Nasser Hussain was mighty impressed with Kohli’s efforts as he lauded the veteran for learning from failures. For the unversed, the deliveries outside the off-stump have been undoing the Indian skipper this series. However, he made some minor adjustments to deal with his weakness.

Highlighting the same, Hussain called Kohli a champion cricketer. “It’s the sign of a champion cricketer that they’re always looking at their game, and trying to improve – even in a series where the matches come and go at such a rate,” Hussain wrote in his column for Daily Mail.

It was noticeable how much thought Virat Kohli put into his difficulties: Nasser Hussain

“When Virat Kohli came out to bat on Thursday, it was noticeable how much thought he’d put into the difficulties he’s been facing in that channel outside off stump. There was clearly a trigger movement to get on off stump and cover it, and then try to leave everything outside his eyeline,” he added.

Hussain also opined that Kohli shouldn’t be criticized as he has been playing regular cricket. Also, he bears the burden of leading the Indian team. “We shouldn’t be too hard on Kohli. The amount of cricket that both these sides play – more than any other teams in the world – can be exhausting, and Kohli bears the extra burden of captaining India, with all the demands that come with the job,” the 53-year-old asserted.

Meanwhile, England somewhat have the upper hand at stumps on Day 1. After bundling India out for 191, the Three Lions finished the day at 53/3, trailing by 138 runs. Notably, England have lost their in-form skipper Joe Root and the pitch still has some assistance for pacers. Hence, Day 2 will be crucial and both camps must buckle up.