'Blow for India, series and world cricket' - Nasser Hussain on Virat Kohli's absence from England Tests

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain discussed the impact of Virat Kohli’s absence in the last three Test matches of the ongoing series. Nasser Hussain deemed Virat Kohli’s absence a significant setback for both the Indian team and the global cricket community.

Earlier, Virat Kohli missed the first two Tests of the five-match series due to personal reasons. The 35-year-old continues to make himself unavailable for the remaining three matches. Kohli has decided to prioritize his private life over the red-ball series on home soil.

Virat Kohli Is One Of The Greatest Batters – Nasser Hussain

Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain described Virat Kohli as one of cricket’s greatest batters. Hussain stated that any team and series would feel the absence of a player of Kohli’s stature.

“It’s a blow for India, a blow for the series and a blow for world cricket. It’s going to be a special series, it already has been. The first two games have been fascinating,” Hussain said.

“Make no mistake, Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters to ever play the game. Any series and any side would miss someone of the stature of Kohli,” he added.

Kohli had the better of the England team in his previous outings against England in Test cricket. He has scored 1991 runs in 28 Tests against England at an average of 42.36, featuring five centuries and nine fifties. Kohli averages 56.38 on home soil against England.

Virat Kohli Has Been Playing International Cricket For More Than 15 Years – Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain highlighted the absence of the clash between Virat Kohli and James Anderson in the series. He acknowledged that Kohli has been playing international cricket for more than 15 years and emphasized the importance of prioritizing personal life.

“First things first, the game needs to look after the likes of Virat Kohli as well. He’s been playing international cricket for more than 15 years now. If he needs a break to be away with family and some time away from the game, we absolutely wish him all the best,” Hussain further stated.

“It means we don’t have the mouth-watering possibility of a (James) Anderson vs Kohli contest like we’ve seen over the years but Kohli and his family and his private life have to come first. So it’s a blow for India but, as we’ve seen, they’ve got a lot of very good young batters.”

In the past decade of Test cricket, the clashes between Virat Kohli and seasoned England bowler James Anderson have stood out. Initially, Anderson had the upper hand, but Kohli has turned the tables in their recent encounters. Kohli has scored 305 runs at an average of 43.60 against Anderson, with the bowler dismissing him seven times.

Anderson was absent for the first Test, where England registered a 28-run win in Hyderabad. However, the 41-year-old returned for the second Test, where he performed well with figures of 5/76. Despite his contributions, England suffered a 106-run defeat in that match.

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