Virat Kohli's Brother Takes A Dig At India's Bowlers: 'We Used To Take 20 Wickets'
Virat Kohli's brother, Vikas, took a dig at India's bowlers after they struggled against England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
News18
India's bowlers struggled to match England's intensity during the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, as the hosts dominated with both bat and ball. After being bowled out for 358 in the first innings, India's bowlers were unable to make significant inroads, allowing England to capitalise on batting-friendly conditions and post a mammoth 669 for a commanding 311-run lead.
Virat Kohli's brother, Vikas Kohli, appeared to express his frustration at India's lacklustre bowling performance. Taking to Threads, he wrote: 'Not long ago, we had a Test team where our bowlers used to take 20 wickets," alluding to the aggressive, pace-driven bowling unit that thrived during Virat's captaincy era.
Despite the daunting situation, India's batters showed remarkable resolve in their second innings. After the departures of captain Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul cheaply in the first session on the fifth day, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar staged a remarkable recovery. The pair stitched together a 203-run stand for the fifth wicket, with both reaching unbeaten centuries.
Jadeja finished on 107*, while Sundar remained not out on 101*, as India batted out more than five sessions to secure a hard-fought draw.
England's bowlers, who had looked threatening in India's first innings, failed to make breakthroughs in the final two sessions of Day 5. Ben Stokes, who had earlier starred with both bat and ball, scoring a brilliant 141 and taking a five-wicket haul, was named Player of the Match for the second consecutive Test.
This result marked India's first draw at Old Trafford in 35 years, the last one dating back to 1990. The five-match series now stands at 2-1 in England's favour, with the decider set to be played at The Oval from July 31.
For India, the spirited fightback from Jadeja and Sundar will be a positive takeaway, but the concerns over their bowling performance, highlighted by Vikas Kohli's comments, remain a key talking point heading into the series finale. It remains to be seen what the team does with some selection headaches, including Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj's workload management, Kuldeep Yadav's absence and Shardul Thakur's form.
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