Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said that if Virat Kohli had been leading the team India, it wouldn’t have suffered a loss in the first Test match in Hyderabad. The defensive captaincy of Rohit Sharma in Test cricket faced scrutiny once more after the defeat in the first game of the series in Hyderabad.
It was team India’s fourth Test defeat at home in the last ten years as England dominated the hosts, propelled by a remarkable 196-run innings by Ollie Pope and a sensational seven-wicket haul by debutant Tom Hartley on Day 4.
Vaughan expressed that India felt the absence of Kohli as captain in red-ball cricket. He commented that despite Rohit being a great player, there was a perception that he switched off during the first Test when the hosts had an opportunity to solidify their position.
While having a discussion on the YouTube channel, ‘Club Prairie Fire’, “They missed Virat Kohli’s captaincy massively in Test cricket. Under Virat’s captaincy that week, India wouldn’t have lost the game. Rohit is a legend and a great player. But I felt he just switched off completely.”
At the same time, Virat Kohli has opted out of the initial two Tests against England citing personal reasons. The BCCI has not revealed the specific reason for his absence and has requested fans to avoid speculating about the cause.
