Team India have lost the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg with one day in hand despite winning the first one. While the regular Test captain Virat Kohli didn’t play due to injury, former fast bowler Ashish Nehra has said that the visitors missed him as a batsman in the game.
However, India have lost the second Test by seven wickets and South Africa levelled the series on the back of an unbeaten 96 from captain Dean Elgar while chasing the target of 240 as well. KL Rahul led the team for the match in the absence of Virat Kohli.
“I think first of all, India missed Virat Kohli, the batsman. Yes, they certainly missed his intensity as a captain as well, but I wouldn’t say that the team’s intensity had gone down because of that. You could hear their voices. Rishabh Pant could be heard constantly, so could Jasprit Bumrah. So if you start talking like that every time India lose, there is no end to it,” said Ashish Nehra on Cricbuzz.
“It is never about one player” – Ashish Nehra on Virat Kohli
However, the veteran also opined on the fact that Kohli was the captain when India faced a defeat in the first Test of their 2020-21 tour of Australia and registered a record low score of 36 runs as well.
But, later they won the series when Virat Kohli was not around as he returned to India for the birth of his child.
“Kohli was there when India were all out for 36 in Australia. But then he was not there and India went on to win the series. So you see a lot of different things,” said Ashish Nehra.
“Kohli is experienced and does put the other team under pressure on the field. They missed him as a batter but I don’t believe that if he was there India would have won the Test match. It is never about one player. He does bring that intensity but his absence did not make such a big difference that India just went silent. India’s shoulders did not drop after they conceded a few runs. That first half hour of the day was crucial and South Africa just got closer and closer,” concluded Ashish Nehra.
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