"Private life come first, so...": Nasser Hussain on reports of Kohli missing next two Tests
Feb 08, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 8 : Former England skipper Nasser Hussain backed Virat Kohli's decision to prioritise his private life but believes that his absence will be a big "blow" for India.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Virat who was absent from the first two Tests against England will miss the third and fourth Test matches against England in Rajkot and Ranchi.
Nasser hailed Kohli for the contribution that he has made in his career which has spanned over 15 years and feels that any team would miss the presence of a batter who has a stature like the 3-year-old.
"Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters ever to play the game and any series and any side will miss someone of the stature of Kohli. The game needs to look after the likes of Kohli as well. He has been playing international cricket for more than 15 years now and if he needs a break to be away with family just some time away from the game we wish Virat Kohli all the best. It means we don't have the mouthwatering possibility of an Anderson-Kohli contest that we have seen over the years so be it," Hussain told Sky Sports.
If Kohli goes on to miss the third and fourth Test, India will certainly need to fill a major void in the batting department. Rajat Patidar was named as Kohli's replacement but failed to make the most of the opportunity.
KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja also missed the second Test due to injuries. For Nasser if Rahul is fit and is able to regain fitness for the third Test, he would be a player who could add to India's batting depth.
"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. But KL Rahul, who was injured for the last game, played brilliantly in the last few months for India and in all formats. I think he'll come back in, so he'll add to their batting," Hussain added.
India have also an option to hand Sarfaraz Khan a Test debut who has been in a blistering form in domestic cricket.
India will play their third Test of the five-match series against England in Rajkot on February 15.
