India need another 381 runs in 90 overs to win the first Test against England in Chennai and the players of the team are hopeful of achieving the target on a deteriorating Chepauk wicket. On Day 4 of the match, India dismissed England for 178 in their 2nd innings but a massive 241-run 1st innings lead meant the visitors had virtually put 420 runs on the board for Virat Kohli’s men to chase.
India lost experienced opener Rohit Sharma in the end moments of the day but still the hope in the team remains. Ishant Sharma, who became the third India pacer to scalp 300 Test wickets on Monday, talking to cricketer-turned-commentator Dee Dasgupta and said that India are confident of gunning down 381 runs on the final day. Ishant’s statement surprised Dasgupta for once.
Sanjay Manjrekar, another former India cricketer has credited Virat Kohli for instilling belief in the Indian team. Virat Kohli handed the ball to Ravichandran Ashwin to bowl the first over of the first innings and the replied with a wicket on a very first delivery. Manjrekar compared Virat Kohli’s captaincy to that of Viv Richards, the West Indies great who captained his nation’s Test team in 50 matches, winning 27 of them, losing just 8.
“If you saw Virat Kohli’s reaction when they got that wicket just before Lunch, it shows how this Team India thinks. Especially with Virat Kohli at the helm. Tactically, people have issues with his captaincy, but this is where Virat Kohli is like Vivian Richards, where they are always hopeful. And when a captain believes that you can still make a match out of this one from the current situation,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo.
Kohli has captained India in 57 Tests (including the ongoing one) and won 33 of them, the most by anyone from the country.
