"Virat Kohli is getting penalized for the smallest mistake"- Michael Vaughan believes a 100 is around the corner for the Indian captain

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has opined that Indian skipper Virat Kohli is going through a phase where he is being penalized for a small error.

Speaking to veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle at CricBuzz, Vaughan heaped praise on Kohli for his brilliant knock of 50 off 96 balls on the opening day of the Oval Test. Vaughan reckoned that Kohli was undone by an unplayable delivery from Ollie Robinson.

Vaughan said-

"I thought Virat played beautifully. I think with Virat now, he is playing well enough. I think he is getting penalized for the smallest mistake. He just played across the line, just a little bit and he got penalized. He is just going through one of those periods where one little mistake is costing him,’’

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Captain Kohli has now struck two half-centuries in consecutive innings and Vaughan believes that the manner in which the Indian captain is playing, the elusive 71st international ton isn’t far away for the 32-year-old.

The England captain claimed that Virat Kohli’s batting may well turn out to be the difference between the two sides in the ongoing Test.

'’If he continues playing like this or like in the 2nd innings at Headingley, that 100 is right around the corner. I think he might be the difference between the two sides in this Test match because from now on if one individual gets a 100 for their team that team will go on to win the Test match"

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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 2, 2021

Michael Vaughan on whether England found the template to crack India's batting?

England v India - Fourth LV= Insurance Test Match: Day One

Virat Kohli looked at his fluent best during his half-century knock on a day when the rest of the Indian batsmen put on yet another poor display against a relentless England seam-bowling attack.

There was a complete deja vu of past dismissals as the English seamers kept bowling in the channel outside off-stump and the Indian batsmen eventually obliged by nicking them behind the wicket.

Harsha Bhogle asked Vaughan if England’s bowlers have found a template to dismiss the Indian batsman. The former cricketer responded in the affirmative.

He said -

"Yes, I think there is. You see the dismissals of the majority Indian batters, it's a bit like a broken record. It's a similar kind of passing from one Test to the next. On the fourth or fifth stump, bit of movement away, a bit of bounce and you feel that the outside edge will be found,’’

After Kohli, when Rishabh Pant got out via yet another brain fade moment, India were staring at yet another below-par total. However, Shardul Thakur’s epic blitz - 57 off 36 balls - ensured that the tourists got close to the 200-run mark.

They were eventually dismissed for 191 before Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav gave England three body blows before the close of play to ensure the day ended on an equal footing.