India vs England | James Foster insists Virat Kohli will be the key wicket in Test series
James Foster, who kept wicket for Essex in the warm-up game against India, insisted that Virat Kohli would be the key wicket for England, but they should not underestimate his team-mates. He also pointed out that warm-up match failure would not bother Shikhar Dhawan going into the Test series.
Virat Kohli, widely regarded as the best batsman in the world right now, has a point to prove over the coming weeks having averaged 13.40 in his only previous series in England four years ago. Kohli looked in good touch against in the warm-up game against Essex in Chelmsford, scoring 68 on the first day. James Foster, who kept wicket for Essex in the touristsā only warm-up match, believed that it would be a mistake for England to focus too much on nullifying Kohli.Ā
āIām aware heās very keen to have a very good series in English conditions. Heās always going to be a big wicket whether heās in form or not because heās such a big player. If you get Kohli out cheaply thatās a big thing for any side. He will be the key wicket but from an English point of view, you cannot underestimate any of their batsmen. They are extremely good players and bat a long way down,ā Foster said as quoted by The Guardian. ā
The biggest issue from the warm-up game that India needs to fix would be the composition of their top order. Mainly because Shikhar Dhawan, who was widely expected to open alongside Murali Vijay at Edgbaston, faced four balls and recorded two ducks.Ā KL Rahul, who made 58 and an unbeaten 38 against Essex, might now come in for Dhawan at the top of the order. Yet given that would mean playing an out-of-form Cheteshwar Pujara at three, India may well decide to stick with Dhawan, who averages 43.93 in Tests, and go with Rahul at first down. If Dhawan gets the nod in Edgbaston, Foster does not believe his failure in the warm-up games in Chelmsford would play too much on his mind.Ā
āObserving Dhawan in the last three days he looks a very relaxed sort of chap and Iām guessing even though he didnāt score any runs I donāt think that will affect him whatsoever. Even though I donāt know him, just from observing the way he is as a person from afar, Iād be very surprised if heās bothered by it,ā he added.
Given the dry nature of the wickets and warm weather, spinners would play an important role in the Test matches. Going into the Test series, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav would be the most likely spinning duo that India would field in the first Test match at Edgbaston. Indian seamers would also pose a big challenge, but with only two of Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami set to play the tourists have another big selection issue to solve. Umesh and Ishant impressed at Chelmsford, but Shami, Indiaās leading seam bowler in Test cricket over the past year with 34 wickets at 20.64, cannot be written off easily.Ā
