Virat Kohli got huge backing from Ahmad Shahzad as he is having a tough time returning to Test cricket after more than 8 months away. He could only manage 6 and 17 runs in the first Test between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. But Pakistan’s Ahmad Shahzad backed Virat Kohli to come good in the second Test that will be played in Kanpur.
In the first innings, he went after Hasan Mahmud’s wide pitch, nicking it through to Litton Das.
He appeared to be in better form in the second innings, batting strongly until he was removed. On Day 2 of the match, Kohli attempted to flick an off-spinning ball from Mehidy Hasan Miraz but failed and was hit in the pad in front of the stumps. Bangladesh successfully appealed, and the umpire raised his finger.
This was Virat’s first outing in Tests since the South Africa series earlier this year in which Kohli was in very good form. He missed India’s previous series against England earlier this year for personal reasons.
Kohli did not have a great T20 World Cup 2024, with a succession of poor scores until the final, when he produced a vital 76 from 59 balls to help India win the first innings.
Ahmad Shahzad makes big prediction about Virat Kohli ahead of the second Test between India and Bangladesh
Virat Kohli would be upset with his performance in the first Test against Bangladesh at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. Kohli has recovered to his classic form in white-ball forms, but he has yet to make strides in Tests. Given India’s demanding Test schedule, Kohli’s form is causing concern for the squad.
However, former Pakistan cricketer Ahmad Shahzad believes Kohli would overcome the poor performance in the second Test against Bangladesh and score a century.
“No doubt, he (Virat Kohli) will come back hard. If you ask me, Virat Kohli will score a century in the next match. Failures in one or two innings is not a big worry for him.
Instead, the Pakistani batsman was concerned about KL Rahul’s form. Shahzad stated that Rahul will face top-tier opponents in the forthcoming series, and his form will be critical for India ahead of those Tests.
If there is something to worry for Team India, it is the form of KL Rahul. He will play the next series (against New Zealand) before the big series (against Australia). That will be a different scenario. The teams will have higher rankings and they will test him. While everyone is chipping in, KL Rahul’s form is extremely crucial,” Shahzad said on his YouTube channel.
Virat Kohli is poised to make history in the second Test against Bangladesh. If Virat Kohli scores 35 runs in the game, he will become the fastest player to reach 27,000 runs in international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar now holds the record, having done it in 623 innings.
Kohli has so far played 593 innings, so he still has plenty of time to reach the mark. The second Test will begin on September 27 at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.
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