IND vs ENG 2021: Time for Virat Kohli to switch to run-machine mode

There's something coldly efficient about Virat Kohli as he strides out to bat. It's as if a storm is brewing, and there would be carnage if it hits the stadium that day.

The man is a heart-stopper, and every time he plays one of those succulent drives, a billion hearts stop for a split second, only to start beating again when the sound of cherry hitting the sweet spot of the bat is heard and it can be seen racing away to the fence.

And then there's that Virat Kohli who, for the near-flawless player he's become over the years, still fishes at one of those pacy, nippy deliveries that go away from his body. It's like an itch. He can't stop poking at it. If he's lucky, it's a streaky shot that trickles away towards the rope, if he's not it's a nick into the slip cordon.

The question is which version of Kohli will show up on Wednesday (August 4) at Trent Bridge when India takes on England in the first of the five-match Test series?

Virat Kohli had a dismal 2020 as far his Test batting was concerned

The last time Virat Kohli played at Trent Bridge was in 2018 and he starred in a comprehensive 203-run for India. The Indian skipper spearheaded the win with knocks of 97 and 103.

India won the Test by getting the simple things right. They had runs on the board and a healthy chunk of them came from Kohli's bat. The series was an absolute disaster for India as they went down 4-1. A win in the third Test did keep them alive, but it was a tour to forget.

Except it was a good run with the bat for the Indian skipper. His scores in the five matches he played in that series read 149, 51, 23,17, 97, 103, 46, 58, 49 and 0. He topped the run charts with 593 from five matches at an average of 59.30.

A year later, he hit his last hundred in Tests till now.

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Time for Virat Kohli to do what he does best

Let's just analyse the Indian squad at the moment. This will be Rohit Sharma's first Test against England in England after 2014. If KL Rahul opens the innings with him, that will be the Karnataka batsman's first Test match since 2019.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's careers are in tenterhooks at the moment and this series will decide their red-ball cricket journeys.

Rishabh Pant, for all the potential and immense skillset, hit a century in his six innings against England on their home turf.

That leaves Virat Kohli, who, in eight Tests since the beginning of 2020, has only made 345 runs at an average of 24.64.

There's no doubt that India will need their best batsman to not just hit the ground running, but also spur the other gifted matchwinners in the team to put their best foot forward. In many ways, they head into the side as favorites against a quality English side despite having enough creases that are yet to be ironed out.

The time is right for Virat Kohli to showcase his batting prowess

India have not won a Test series in England since 2007 and their last two visits in 2011 and 2018 ended in massive 4-0 and 4-1 defeats respectively.

Of all of these losses, Kohli has been a bright spot for India, notching up 1742 runs against England at an average of 45.84. This includes five centuries and seven fifties.

And starting at the first Test at Trent Bridge, he will have to score runs aplenty, or for better phrasing, just switch to his run-machine mode.

Just to clear any misconception, Kohli's not in a rut. He's been done in by some really good bowling and has been throwing away starts against quality sides.

By his own admission, he told his India mate Dinesh Karthik that it takes "relentless madness" and "pursuit of excellence" to win a Test series in England.

Replace the madness with runs, and Kohli's done half the job for his side. The upcoming Test series won't by any means be a cakewalk for India despite the absence of Ben Stokes, England's x-factor.

This is a test of India's batting firepower against the hosts' impressive bowling, and for Virat Kohli, the time is right to showcase his batting prowess.