Birmingham: Virat Kohli (149, 225b, 22×4, 1×6) took a giant stride towards exorcising the ghosts of 2014 with a masterful century as he singlehandedly pulled India out of the woods against England on an eventful second day of the first Test here at the Edgbaston, Thursday.
Kohli’s knock, which will rank amongst one of the finest hundreds by an Indian batsman on English soil, enabled the visitors to reach 274 thereby bringing down the first innings deficit to only 13 runs after bowling the hosts out for 287 in their first essay. In reply, England were nine for one in their second innings with an overall lead of 22 runs, at stumps.
The day certainly belonged to Kohli, whose dogged determination for a course correction was evident during an innings where he scored more than fifty per cent of his team’s runs even as he was booed by England fans for his version of ‘mic-drop’ celebrations on the first day.
He got a couple of reprieves early in his innings but his intent to scrap it out under overcast conditions with an incisive Sam Curran (4/74), wily James Anderson (2/41) and relentless Ben Stokes (2/73) asking probing questions, stood out.
His 22nd Test hundred had the unbridled joy on competing the coveted hundred was palpable as he let out a wild roar and kissed his wedding ring. He was beaten but he looked unfazed. He covered the swing, the footwork was more assured whenever he met the ball on the frontfoot.
Kohli’s innings is worth its weight in gold simply because of the situation the team was in. Dhawan and Murali Vijay (20) did the hardwork of seeing off the new ball with a 50-run stand but it all went awry after that.
Curran used conditions to good effect as he trapped Vijay leg before, got KL Rahul (four) to play a lazy shot and then Dhawan edged one to the slip cordon.
Ajinkya Rahane (15) and Dinesh Karthik (0) joined the procession to make it 100 for five before Hardik Pandya (22) added 48 with his skipper.
But the most effective support came from No.10 and 11. Ishant Sharma (five) added 35 with his skipper running those cheeky singles while Umesh Yadav (one not out) added 57 runs for the last wicket.
Finally he was the last man out trying to cut Adil Rashid and got a standing ovation from the crowd.
This was after India quickly wrapped up the English innings when Mohammad Shami (3/64) dismissed the overnight Curran (24) in the second over of the morning.