Virat Kohli's unfaltering application
Although the man does not rate his Edgbaston outing as the finest of his illustrious Test career, it still was a remarkable show of obsessive grit and unflinching struggle, both mental and physical. Just the fact that he scored 200 of the total 414 runs scored by India in the match speaks volumes of the player's caliber and the value he brings to this Indian team.
Since being cheaply dropped in the first innings, Kohli went all defensive whereas he's all about belligerence and eyeing the opposition without wavering an inch. But analyzing the match situation and the need of the hour, he decided to sit back and respect an all-time great who also happens to be Kohli's arch-nemesis, if not less: Jimmy Anderson.
Through sneaky running, an odd shot of dominance and regularly turning the strike over, he reached a magnificent ton: his first on the British shores. Through sheer intelligence and smartness, he compiled 105 runs with his tail-enders: racking up a hefty 92 from them, himself. Through the typical Kohli-esque approach, he pulled India out of a bottomless pit to give them a brilliant chance of knocking over the Poms.
With his composed modus operandi, Kohli almost single-handedly took India over the victory line. He missed out on his most favored strokes: the subcontinental flick of the wrists for a leg-glance. To his utter bewilderment, he totally missed it, might have underplayed it, and was adjudged plumb. With his departure, the Indian hopes sank.
Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news