“We won’t get to see the one final battle we could have seen between Jimmy Anderson and Virat Kohli” – Aakash Chopra on Kohli missing the whole series against England.
Aakash Chopra has pointed out that Virat Kohli’s decision to sit out the entire Test series against England could potentially deprive fans of witnessing a final showdown between him and James Anderson.The selectors announced the Indian squad for the last three Tests against England on Saturday, February 10.
Kohli, who was absent from the first two Tests due to personal reasons, has chosen to miss the remaining three matches of the five-game series as well. Chopra, a former India opener, speculates that compelling factors may have led Kohli to skip the entire series.
“I am sure there are pressing reasons, or else Kohli hasn’t missed an entire series like this in his entire career. I remember him missing the Australia series, where he played the first match, the pink-ball Test match where India were all out for 36 and then he wasn’t available for the entire series.”
Chopra emphasized Kohli’s unwavering commitment to Test cricket, noting that Kohli has consistently prioritized the longest format of the game. According to Chopra, Kohli might have opted out of ODIs and T20Is if given the choice to take a break in those formats, but he has always been enthusiastic about playing Test cricket, regardless of the opposition.
“He went home on paternity leave. Before or after that, he has never taken such a long leave, and especially in Test cricket. Virat Kohli is the poster boy of cricket, all three formats, but Test cricket is closest to his heart.”