“Very good innings, keeping in mind the conditions” - Deep Dasgupta on Virat Kohli’s laborious half-century in Dominica 

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta described Virat Kohli’s 76 off 182 balls in the Dominica Test against West Indies as a very good knock on a tough batting surface. According to Dasgupta, Kohli reined himself in and showed the hunger to accumulate a good score.

India hammered West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the first Test on Friday. Responding to the Windies’ first-innings total of 150, India declared on 421/5. While Yashasvi Jaiswal (171 off 387) and Rohit Sharma (103 off 221) balls hit impressive tons, Kohli scored a painstaking half-century. India then bundled out West Indies for 130 in their second innings to clinch the Test on Day 3 itself.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Dasgupta opined that Kohli’s innings was a great example of the fact that you could be one of the best in the world, but if the pitch doesn’t offer you much, you will struggle.

He elaborated:

“That innings from Virat, an innings of attrition - that’s the kind of pitch this was. It’s very difficult to get into a flow on a pitch like this. It will always look scratchy, no matter how well you are batting. For me, it was still a very good innings, keeping in mind the conditions and how tough it was to score runs. He hung in there and you could see the hunger to get a big innings going. But on a surface like this, you are never set as a batter.”

Kohli was looking good for a hundred, but fell to Rahkeem Cornwall, caught at leg slip off a thick inside edge.

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“He should be one of the first names in the playing XI” - Dasgupta on Ashwin’s brilliance

While Jaiswal, Rohit, and Kohli starred with the bat, Ravichandran Ashwin was brilliant on the bowling front, claiming 12 wickets. Praising the off-spinner, Dasgupta stated that the cricketer gave another illustration of why he should be among the first names in an Indian Test XI.

The 46-year-old commented:

“It’s unbelievable (12 wickets). Obviously, the conditions were very favorable for the spinners. Then again, this highlights how good Ravichandran Ashwin is and has been over the years and why he should be one of the first names up in the playing XI.

On India’s spin-bowling might, the former stumper added:

“If Ashwin doesn’t get you, obviously [Ravindra] Jadeja will and if there is an opportunity then, if these two can’t, then Axar [Patel] might if he is part of the playing XI. So, I think this is a really solid performance from both the spinners - Ashwin and Jadeja. They are so good together especially when there is a little bit of help from the surface.”

While Ashwin claimed 12 scalps, Jadeja picked up three wickets in the first innings and two in the second.