Virat Kohli returned back as Indian skipper to lead India in the first Test against Chennai. His men find themselves in a scenario where they need to score 381 on the final day to win the first Test. Meanwhile, the opposition needs nine wickets in 90 overs in the day’s play. Despite leading the team well in the Test, he failed to score with the bat. He scored just 11 runs in his first innings as India were bowled out for 337 as opposed to England’s 578. 

Meanwhile, former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has likened Virat Kohli’s captaincy to that of former West Indian skipper Viv Richards. Manjrekar said how Kohli’s aggressive attitude rubbed off on his Indian teammates. He recalled Kohli’s reaction when his decision to introduce Ashwin in the first over of the second innings yielded in a wicket. 

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“If you saw Virat Kohli’s reaction when they got that wicket just before Lunch, it shows how this Team India think, especially with Virat Kohli at the helm,” Manjrekar said.

R Ashwin became the first Indian spinner to take a wicket off the first ball of an innings when he got the better of England opener Rory Burns. Manjrekar then said that the Indian skipper is very close to how Viv Richards was tactically. He further said that Kohli is always hopeful of making things happen. 

Virat Kohli Tactically Like Viv Richards: Sanjay Manjrekar

“Tactically, people have issues with his captaincy, but this is where Virat Kohli is like Vivian Richards, where they are always hopeful, and when a captain believes that you can still make a match out of this one from the current situation,” Manjrekar added.

Meanwhile, both England and India are in the race for the World Test Championship finals. India need to beat England by a margin of either 4-0, 3-0,3-1 or 2-0. While England needs to beat India by a margin of 1-3, 0-3, 0-4.

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