Ravi Shastri wants Shubman Gill to channel Virat strength after bowlers struggle on Day 5; ‘Someone has to do Kohli job’

Individual brilliances do not always count for success but going under the opposition’s skin does the talking sometimes, something that Virat Kohli used to do during his time in Test cricket. The Indian cricket team is going through a transition phase after the retirements of Kohli and Rohit Sharma with Shubman Gill leading the charge with the captain’s armband in England. 

With five hundreds, including two from Rishabh Pant, the Indian batting has clearly made the headlines in the ongoing first Test at Headlingley in Leeds. But sloppy fielding – five dropped catches – in the first innings and the visiting bowlers’ inability to strike a breakthrough on the fifth day has given the England team the upper hand in chase for a win.

In such a scenario, with Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj toiling hard for wickets, Shastri wanted ‘someone’ do a ‘Kohli job’ to play mind games in the field. “India need someone to do a Kohli. Should be someone designated. Kohli could do it for 3 people. Get in the face,” Shastri said while commentating on Tuesday.