In the current ICC World Test Championship (WTC), former India captain Virat Kohli, fresh off finishing as his country’s top run scorer in South Africa, will want to record another run-fest series. In their upcoming red-ball assignment, Rohit Sharma’s Team India—who finished second in the previous two WTC editions—will play host to England. Is the best of Kohli returning? After the South Africa series, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan is expecting the batting wizard to live up to the hype. Scroll down to read: Irfan Pathan warns Ben Stokes about Virat Kohli.
Irfan Pathan warns Ben Stokes About Virat Kohli
Following an outstanding performance at the One Day International (ODI) World Cup the previous year, Kohli rejoined the Indian team. In the first inning of the South Africa series opener, Kohli hit 38 runs off 64 balls. India’s second essay at Centurion featured a gritty 76 off 82 balls from the primary batsman. Then, in the Cape Town Test, which India won by seven wickets, Kohli struck 46 from 59 balls.
‘Kohli is back at his very best’
Pathan told Star Sports, “For supporters of both Virat Kohli and Indian cricket, the news that he is back to his best is excellent. His footwork was superb, and he was outstanding in South Africa. He is displaying aggressive footwork, which could help him score runs in the England series.”
Kohli arrives in Hyderabad for England Test series
Kohli scored 172 runs for India in the two-test series against South Africa, averaging 43.00. India’s captain, Virat Kohli, will play in his 114th Test match against England on Friday in Hyderabad. For the first Test match between India and England, the former captain of India recently traveled to Hyderabad. With an average of 49.16, Kohli has amassed 8,848 runs for India in 113 Test matches.
How Kohli has performed in WTC 2023-2025
In the longest format, the 35-year-old has 29 centuries and 30 half-centuries to his credit. The previous captain of India has participated in four Test matches during the WTC’s 2023–2026 cycle. In four tests, Kohli amassed 369 runs for the Asian heavyweights. Australia’s Usman Khawaja is the top run scorer in the WTC 2023–2025 with 770 runs in nine games. The first Test between Ben Stokes’ England and Virat Kohli’s India will take place at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Former player issues Bazball warning to England
In the five-match Test series in India, England will believe that the “Baseball” strategy will work, according to former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha. Ojha has cautioned the Ben Stokes-led group, though, that the conditions in India will change and that they need to have a backup plan for the India tour.
To make the game entertaining and strive for outcomes, England’s batsmen play with aggression. Their strategy, though, might not be safe in India. While England has found success with the Bazball method, they will need to devise new strategies to pose a threat to India in the forthcoming series.
In Pakistan, England won the Test series 3-0 despite the challenging subcontinental conditions. They were the first team in Asia to completely whitewash Pakistan.
Their real test, though, will be in India, a nation renowned for its spin-friendly surfaces. According to Pragyan Ojha on JioCinema, “England is confident, but Pakistan is not India. The circumstances in Pakistan will not be the same as they are in India. Thus, England will need to employ cunning in their strategy.”
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