ENG vs IND: Virat Kohli's Decision To Start Bowling With Ishant Sharma Backfires
Indian bowling attack, hailed as one of the best in world after victory in the second Test at Lord's, came a cropper on the first two days after the batting had collapsed for 78 on the first day o
Indian bowling attack, hailed as one of the best in world after victory in the second Test at Lord's, came a cropper on the first two days after the batting had collapsed for 78 on the first day of the third Test. The four-pronged pace attack found little help from the pitch but more importantly paid the price for some poor decision-making from skipper Virat Kohli.
For the second consecutive day, Kohli opened the bowling with Ishant Sharma. The lanky pace bowler, who impressed in the first Test with the way he made back-to-back breakthroughs in both the innings, has the ability to strike with deliveries that come sharply into the right-handed batsmen and away from the left-handed batsmen.
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Notwithstanding his genius with the old ball, to start the second day on Thursday with him instead of Jasprit Bumrah defied logic. On Wednesday, Kohli had asked Ishant Sharma to open the bowling with Bumrah and kept the latter's new ball partner Mohammed Shami for later.
Against a pair that was opening for England for the first time, Kohli could have thrown his best opening bowlers, those that have more chances of finding edges.