Virat Kohli embarks upon his third tour of England, so he would be no stranger to the conditions there, but former India World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has interesting advice for the current skipper, which will help him excel.
Virat Kohli has been on two tours of England since he made his Test debut for India. In the first tour in 2014, he was all over the place, scoring just 134 runs from 10 innings, statistically the India captain’s worst in a three-Test series or more. However, four years later, Virat Kohli turned it around in style, scoring a mammoth 593 runs from five Tests, including two centuries and three fifties.
Virat Kohli Expected By Kapil Dev To Excel In England Tour
Three years later, as Virat Kohli will look to lead from the front in his third tour of England, former India World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has advised the current skipper not to be over-aggressive, which will help him excel.
“I expect him to excel. Can you really shackle him? He is a natural when it comes to adapting but I would caution him to not be over-aggressive. He will have to measure it session by session. He’ll be better off waiting for his moments of dominance,” Kapil told Mid-Day in an interview.
_1622172007373_1622172016607.png "Virat Kohli And Kapil Dev.(Ap)")
“He will get his runs with a bit of patience. Trying too hard and too early doesn’t work in England where you need to watch the movement of the ball. If you play seam and swing well, show patience, you will succeed in England.”
India is set to travel to the UK for a long tour. They first face New Zealand in the final of the World Test Championship in Southampton starting June 18 before proceeding to play hosts England in a five-Test series starting August 4. India has faced defeats in their last three Test tours of England.
Kapil Dev: India Played Exceptionally Well In 1986 Tour
They last won a Test series in the UK in 2007, whereas prior to it, they had triumphed in England way back in 1986, when Kapil Dev was the captain. Under Kapil Dev, India won the series 2-0, and recalling the historic series, the former India all-rounder explained what the current team should keep in mind while playing in England.
“We played exceptionally good cricket. I want this team to remember that England in England is tough. They are a very good team when playing at home but then, it will also depend on how the Indian bowlers adapt to the conditions and pitches. The swing will be very rewarding and here I feel England is one step ahead of India,” explained Kapil Dev.
India beat England 2–0 in the Test series and won the ODI Texaco Trophy that by virtue of a faster run-rate despite England having squared the series after losing the first game. India’s Dilip Vengsarkar scored a total of 360 runs in the Test series and was named player of the series alongside England’s Mike Gatting(293 runs).
In the ODI series, England’s David Gower (81 runs) was named player of the series alongside India’s Ravi Shastri. India’s Mohammed Azharuddin also scored 90 runs. The significance of the tour was considerable for Indian cricket too. India had won only four out of 52 Tests since the start of the decade. Moreover, under Kapil Dev’s leadership, the side had not won any of its 20 Test matches.
India could have gone on to win 3-0 in Birmingham but they failed to push the initiative on the final day. However, the match will be remembered for the wicket-taking abilities of Chetan Sharma. To this day, he remains the only Indian to have taken 10 wickets in a Test in England. Chetan Sharma finished with 16 scalps.