England skipper Jo Root expects Virat Kohli to come out all guns blazing in the second Test which starts from Saturday at the Chepauk. India lost the first Test by 227 runs under Kohli, which was his fourth straight loss as captain of the Test meat. He received a lot of flak from the media and the Indian cricket fans who even advocated to him stepping down from Test captaincy. Meanwhile, Kohli has been preparing hard in the nets to get his act together and produce the best with the bat in the second Test.
Speaking to India Today, Root said that he expects Virat Kohli to dictate the game right from the first ball in the next Test.
Virat Kohli Will Respond Straightaway: Joe Root
“I expect Virat to want to come out and for India to respond straight away from ball one of the Test match, whatever it is that the toss dictates. He is a proud guy with an unbelievable record in his own conditions as captain and a batter. He will want to come to the fore in this series sooner rather than later. We are very well aware of that,” Joe Root said.
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The England skipper also gave a glimpse of his team’s preparations ahead of the crucial second game. The visitors headed into the Test series beating Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series in Galle. In India too, they made a resounding start by beating India comfortably in the first Test.
“All we have got to do is keep trying to play in the same manner as we have done in the first game and the two games in Sri Lanka. Respond well to the conditions, the situation and the surface in front of us. Try and be as ruthless as we can be if we get in a position of strength within the game,” Root added.
Heading into the second game, England are topping the WTC points table while India are placed fourth.
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