ENG vs IND | Sure that Virat Kohli will break his century drought, affirms Dilip Vengsarkar
Kohli will be key for India against England
|BCCI
Former Indian middle-order batsman Dilip Vengsarkar has asserted that Indian skipper Virat Kohli will break his century drought soon, given he's a phenomenal player. He also added that this ongoing series is India's best chance to win a Test series in England since they last won in 2007.
Virat Kohli has taken giant strides in Test cricket after starting slowly to be rated amongst the best red-ball players in the world at the moment. While in the white-ball formats, he was an instant hit right from the word go. However, his excellence has faded away in the last two years, especially if we take his sky-high standards into consideration. One of the most prolific century makers in international cricket, Kohli has also not been able to cross the three-figure mark in the last 21 months.
Since the start of 2020, he has struggled in red-ball cricket, crossing the fifty-run mark only thrice in 14 outings. Kohli has played good knocks here and there but lacked the consistency that defines him. However, with the series against England, the experienced batter will have a golden opportunity to turn around his fortunes.
Former Indian chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has asserted that Kohli's barren century run will come to an end soon, given the quality player he is. He also added that both Rohit and Virat will be key for India in the Test series against England.
"I'm sure he will be able to break his century drought, because at the end of the day, he is a fabulous player. He and Rohit are probably the best India has got and I hope they come into their own and score a lot of runs. But at the same time, I would like others also to chip in, that's important, because we can't only depend on just two batsmen. Others need to contribute as well," Vengsarkar told Hindustan Times.
Rishabh Pant will be one of the crucial players for India in the challenging series. With his impactful batting, he has been a huge positive for India in 2021. However, his shot-selection in the second innings of the WTC finale had got him plenty of criticism. But Vengsarkar defended the young gloveman.
"He is a young player, and the fact that we did not play any games before the World Test Championship. You take time to acclimatise to the conditions. Not only Rishabh Pant, but any cricketer for that matter. I can't blame anybody to be honest. The only thing is that the BCCI should have organised these games for them," he said.
India were phenomenal in their last away tour as they had registered an epic series win Down Under, earlier this year. India will look to replicate the same against the Three Lions as well. Vengsarkar stated that he agrees with Rahul Dravid's prediction of India winning the series in the UK and reckoned it indeed is their best chance yet.
"I agree with Dravid. India has a very good chance because this is the first-time, we are travelling to England with such world-class bowlers. Guys like Shami, Bumrah, Siraj and Ishant are top class. I think this indeed is India's best chance."
