After a humiliating innings and 159-run defeat against England at Lord’s, India suffered yet another blow with skipper Virat Kohli’s back niggle resurfacing during the match.
Kohli had to leave the field on Day 3 after tea to get the treatment. Consequently, he could not take the field on Sunday owing to the same issue. With Indian batting in tatters again on day four, Kohli did come out to bat at the number 5, but looked in immense pain during his 29-ball 17 with the physio having to attend to him on more than one occasion. He eventually fell to Stuart Broad trying to flick a short of a length delivery, the ball brushing his glove onto his thigh pad and landing straight into the hands of debutant Ollie Pope stationed at forward short leg.
After India lost the second Test, Kohli talked about his stiff back and blamed excessive workload for the recurring problem. Having said that he assured that will be fit in time for the third Test starting on Saturday (August 18) in Nottingham.
“As of yesterday and today, it wasn’t great. Back is one thing that can be really tricky. It happened during the last leg of the South Africa tour when I missed a T20 game,” said Kohli after the match. “The good thing is I have five days before the next Test.
“We’re confident, with rehab and strengthening, I should be ready for the next game although not with the same intensity on the field, but I should be able to hold a position in the field and be 100 per cent with the bat. I think five days is good enough to be better for the next game.”
In the five match Test series, Kohli has so far amassed 240 runs in 4 innings and is the highest run-getter with Jonny Bairstow breathing down his neck with 191 runs at an average of over 63.
The Indian skipper first suffered a back injury during the tour of South Africa in February which forced him to sit out of the third and final T20I in Cape Town. He grappled with injuries during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 10 while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore as well. Later, a neck sprain led Kohli to miss out on a County stint with Surrey.
