ENG vs IND | Virat Kohli bears the extra burden of captaining India, reckons Nasser Hussain

After losing the third Test at Headingley, Team India did not not have a favourable opening day of the fourth Test on Thursday. The visitors were bowled out for 191 in the first innings at The Oval in London. India were reeling at 127/7 at one stage but half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur helped India to reach close to 200. Notably, none of the other eight Indian batsmen could cross the 20-run mark.

“It's no great surprise if he starts to play some tired shots outside off stump. The fact is, he still found time in an impossibly busy schedule to tinker with his game. And, for a while, it was a joy to watch,” Hussain said.

“You bowl a certain length to Rohit, but a bit fuller to KL Rahul. To Cheteshwar Pujara, you aim at the fourth stump. To Kohli, you drag back your length a touch. And with Chris Woakes making a welcome return to the side, England had the perfect attack for these conditions,” Hussain wrote.

“And what will concern India - at least until Shardul Thakur connected with a few - was the repetitive nature of their dismissals. Basically, England haven't had to rethink many of their plans,” wrote Hussain in his column for the Daily Mail after India were dismissed for 191 in their first innings of the fourth Test match at The Oval.

“But Robinson has got him three times in this series, which is a great feather in his cap, and it may have something to do with his release point. Since the start of 2020, India average only 18 against bowlers with a release point above 2.15m - the likes of New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson, as well as Craig Overton and Robinson here - so in that sense he's exploiting a bit of a weakness,” he added.