I have become a fan of Kohli: Former Hyderabad all-rounder Syed Abid Ali
Hyderabad: Although the England tour ended in a bizarre fashion as the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford was cancelled because of Covid-19 fears after the junior physio had tested positive and thereafter the Indians returning in batches to the UAE for the postponed IPL, skipper Virat Kohli had moments of glory as his […]
Hyderabad: Although the England tour ended in a bizarre fashion as the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford was cancelled because of Covid-19 fears after the junior physio had tested positive and thereafter the Indians returning in batches to the UAE for the postponed IPL, skipper Virat Kohli had moments of glory as his side was 2-1 up in the series.
India’s magnificent win at the Oval had stirred the imagination of cricket critics. The last time India won at the Oval was way back in 1971 where the Ajit Wadekar-led team made history. Hyderabad all-round Syed Abid Ali had then hit the winning run in India’s first ever Test win in England.
Kohli’s men repeated that feat after a gap of 50 years. An elated Abid Ali gave full credit to Kohli and his captaincy. “This boy has done a great job. He has built a strong team. I feel that in the past Tiger Pataudi did it and then Ajit Wadekar won the series in West Indies and England. For Kohli his victories in Australia and England are a big achievement.
“Fifty years ago at the Oval (chuckles). No doubt we won three series under Wadekar’s captaincy but if we really take a look into it luck had favoured us. But this win under Kohli was something refreshing. On a flat wicket, the Indian pace bowlers bowled out the England team. Kohli has been smartly using the fast bowlers,” said Abid Ali, who is now settled in California, USA.
The former all-rounder further said he fully supported Kohli’s aggressive captaincy. “What is wrong? He is just like the Australians, who play an aggressive game of cricket. For many years India missed this aggressive style of captaincy. In the past, Sourav Ganguly had followed this style. He got results. He gave a clear message that India cannot be taken lightly. He backed the players. So does Kohli. I would not hesitate to say some captains were very happy with draw results in the past. But Kohli believes in winning a game. I have become a big fan of Kohli,” said Abid Ali, who turned 80 last week.
Abid Ali pointed out that Kohli enjoys his captaincy and his game. “He is a smart guy. I like his attitude and he plays a fearless game. Test cricket requires characters like Kohli. I fully endorse Kohli brand of cricket.”
He himself being a medium-pacer, Abid Ali said that it is nice to see Indian pace bowlers taking wickets and instilling fear among the opponents.
“They have the pace and swing. I’m happy with the way they bowl the bouncers or yorkers. When I watch them on television I enjoy it fully. Imagine when I played, even on green tops or on bouncy wickets, we had a limited role as we had relied on spinners. Pace was never our trump card. Today, it is a different era where the World’s best spinner (Ravichandran Ashwin) is sidelined and instead the Indian pace bowlers are taking 20 wickets in a match.”
Abid Ali was happy that fellow Hyderabad pace bowler Mohammed Siraj was growing in stature. “He is very good. I don’t think Hyderabad has produced that kind of pace bowler before. He is fast, has a lot of control on his line and length, and swings the ball.”
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