India vs England | Mike Brearley pinpoints Virat Kohli's ruthless streak for his dominance

Kohli’s performance in the first Test match against England (149 in the first innings and 51 in the second), considering the context of the game, answered all the criticism the skipper received after a poor display the last time India toured England in 2014. Brearley was all praise for the 29-year-old even after his efforts ultimately could not help India win the first Test.

The 76-year-old stated that there is an intensity about the way Kohli plays the game can make the opponents nervous. Brearley felt that Kohli’s phenomenal batting would help his leadership, but wondered if he might grow to become too powerful for the team’s good at some point.

“I feel there is an intensity about his cricket which can make people nervous, but on the whole, it animates them and dynamises people. Runs over here (in England) will help his captaincy. I wonder if he is going to become too dominant a figure in Indian cricket,” Brearley stated.

In the 36 Tests that Kohli has captained, India have never fielded the same team in successive games. Speaking about the same, Brearley said that he is not so sure that such a mindset always delivers the best results. He felt that it was all about the balance and compared the two different scenarios (same playing XI versus chopping and changing).

“It is about the team balance and sometimes it is a gut feeling. You can keep the same side going, but others won’t get a chance. On the other hand, you can keep changing the side. However, I am not sure whether the latter mindset always delivers the best results,” he added.

Brearley said that he would have chosen Cheteshwar Pujara over KL Rahul in the first Test match considering the former’s average and County experience. He felt that Pujara could bat up the order and blunt the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

“I would have preferred Pujara, who averages 50 and has played County cricket this year, over KL Rahul. He could have come in at no. 3 and tackle Anderson and Broad. This would have let Kohli come in later and play comfortably,” Brearley concluded.