Five Talking Points From An Enthralling Day 2

Kohli Wagging With The Tail

England v India: Specsavers 1st Test - Day Two

Sometimes it's not about how deep a team bats but how well its batsmen manipulate with the tail. Kohli put on an absolute masterclass of what's the most exquisite methodology to resort to when your team is reeling at 182-8 and trailing by daunting, 100-plus runs. Kohli waltzed his way into the 90's and once Ishant Sharma fell to an Adil Rashid's googly, it was all about the Indian skipper double-bluffing and outsmarting his English counterpart.

Stealing quick singles here, resolute defense there and all this was glorified by an odd break-away stroke; a stroke of such class and preeminence that even boundary-riders stood no chance of halting it. He ensured that the tail-enders were exposed as little as possible to the seam-bowl barrage. In the process, he faced more than three times the deliveries faced by India's last three batsmen and thus scored 92 runs of the 105 runs made in the last three stands. On his way, Kohli registered his first ever ton on English soil and probably one of the best he has ever made, too. given the effort put behind it and the context of the game in which it was scored. All pumped up, he kissed his wedding badge and drenched into the overwhelming applause from the same crowd that had blatantly booed him when he came out to bat. A remarkable innings to be penned down in the history books forever.

England v India: Specsavers 1st Test - Day Two