Former England skipper Alec Stewart believes the pressure of expectations on Virat Kohli is far higher than it was on Sachin Tendulkar, praising his single-minded effort to help India rally to a great win in the third Test at Trent Bridge.
He struck 97 and 103 in the third Test at Trent Bridge to seal a great India win and narrow England’s series lead to 2-1 with two games left.
“India are ranked No 1, and they put up a decisive show at Trent Bridge. Under Virat, India have become a very competitive and proud unit. India would have lost the series otherwise, and it was a very, very good performance all around. Kohli’s batting was exceptional. Virat is the best in the world and India’s bowling and catching was right,” Stewart said in an interview.
“At Lord’s, India got their selection wrong, and they corrected that. They must back it up now at the Ageas Bowl and not revert to what we have seen at Lord’s and Edgbaston,” he said.
“I’m not surprised at all. He is world class; I am a massive fan of him. Top players will always find a way to succeed. I expected him to do well, whether he played for Surrey or not — he has talent and mental strength to perform well.”
“It’s potentially harder on Kohli than Tendulkar because of the accessibility now — TV, radio, social media, online, these days everyone has an opinion. The spotlight is even greater now.”
