Former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar opined that captain Virat Kohli is the most satisfied player when the team performs well in Test cricket. Bangar also thinks that Kohli will also like to end his century drought in international cricket as his last big century came in November 2019.
Bangar thinks that Kohli got the rhythm in the first innings of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Ageas Bowl, Southampton, he should perform just like that in the 5 match Test series against England.
“He has already scored close to 7,500 Test runs, and this is a format, where he just simply gives it his all. It’s not that he doesn’t value T20 or ODI cricket; he plays with equal intensity, but the job satisfaction that he derives — because this is the toughest format. And in modern times, because there are no dead rubbers, so every Test match is valued, and every team is playing for a result. This means that whatever is on offer — from a batting perspective — is always challenging for the batsman.
“So, to excel in each & every Test match, and obviously, to get over the drought of the three-figure — which may have been playing on his mind — I think this is something that he would look ahead to. The way he has batted in the first innings was a clear indication of the kind of touch and the kind of rhythm that he was in. So, I think it augurs well for the Indian team,” Sanjay Bangar said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.
In the WTC final which New Zealand eventually won by defeating India. Bowled out India in the second innings for just 170 runs and got the target to chase only 139 runs in the remaining day. Overall, although the match was very close and tight still Kiwis outperformed the Indians to win their first major trophy in 2 decades.
“Yeah, definitely it could have been different. With a threat of rain looming over all the time, it doesn’t really give players the freedom to go out and play for extended amounts of time. Because obviously, there’s a break in concentration, as well as the normal wear and tear of the wicket — that it generally undergoes if it has completed 450 overs of play. Those are the other challenges as well. So, from that perspective, I feel yes, it does rob away some excitement, some challenges that you would want to see in a Test match,” Bangar poINted.
Shafali Verma’s future can be bright from here: Sanjay Bangar
Sanjay Bangar also lauded young Shafali Verma for her remarkable performance during her Test match debut against England.
She scored 96-run in the first innings and backed it with another fifty in the second essay.
Shafali Verma, a very popular winner of the Player of the Match award. What a gem. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/XNKjvGxyAP
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) June 19, 2021
“Her (Shafali ) future can only be bright and the only way she’s going to go from here is up and the sky is the limit. Even though India play less Test matches, but this was a fantastic opportunity and the way she approached the game was refreshing. She played with a fearless attitude and put the opposition on the back foot straightaway. This is very rare,” He said.