New Delhi [India], July 19 : Former England quick Steve Harmison believes that if India had its batting maestro Virat Kohli in its final XI against his former side at Lord's, the visitors would have gunned down the target and soared to a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
After the end of the three days of pulsating contest, India and England remained inseparable, with both posting 387 each in the first innings. India's spirited bowling forced England to be bundled out for 192, which raised hopes of the touring party taking a lead for the first time in the series.
However, England's speedsters left India gobsmacked with their blistering pace and flattened those ambitions in a whisker. At the end of the penultimate day, India were reeling at 58/4. In the opening hour of the final day, tearaway Jofra Archer and captain Ben Stokes rubbed salt on India's wounds and left them threadbare at 82/7.
Nitish Kumar Reddy resisted for a bit but gave away a faint edge to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Chris Woakes. Ravindra Jadeja batted his heart out with tail-enders Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, but the battle they waged ended in vain as England scripted a 22-run triumph. Harmison felt that if India had its 'chase master' and former Test batter Virat, the result would have completely turned around.
"India has scored more hundreds, more top-order runs, and more new ball wickets, but England has got a knack of finding a way to win. Finding a way of creating an event throughout a session to change the course of the game. For me, India has to start believing. This is where the likes of Virat Kohli were unbelievable. In a fourth innings chase, he goes and wins the game comfortably. He would have won that game comfortably at Lord's," Harmison said in ESPNcricinfo Match Day.
Virat announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12, more than a month before India's tour of England. His decision marked the end of an illustrious 14-year career that saw him dominate a variety of conditions, regions, and opponents, both as a batter and captain.
In his decorated Test career, Kohli made 123 appearances in white clothing, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings and the best score of 254*. He is India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs).