India vs Eng Test: Virat Kohli on brink of surpassing Dhoni’s captaincy record in Tests at home

New Delhi: Team India captain Virat Kohli is all set to script a new record by becoming the most successful Indian captain at home. The current record is set by the legendary former captain MS Dhoni.

Till date, both Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have won 21 matches in their captainship in the Test series. Since Dhoni took retirement, Kohli is expected to surpass the renowned wicketkeeper-batsman in winning maximum number of Test matches at home.

Kohli will be looking forward to writing his name in the history books in the third Test of India vs England in Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Kohli already has edge over Dhoni in Test Captaincy

Dhoni had led the Team India in 31 home Tests taking his side to victory in 21 of them while Kohli equaled the record in the second Test in Chennai but only in 28 Tests which means that the incumbent Indian skipper has a higher winning percentage at home. Dhoni had lost three home Tests as captain while Kohli has lost just two which means that the latter’s Win-Loss Percentage at 10.5 is also higher than Dhoni’s (7).

India had defeated England by 317 runs in the second Test and now both teams are getting ready to battle it out in the day-night Test at the newly-built Motera Stadium. The pink-ball Test has traditionally offered a lot of assistance to the seamers, but this upcoming match at the Motera Stadium maybe a different ball game as Rohit Sharma on Sunday suggested that critics shouldn’t pull the BCCI up for preparing spin-friendly wickets.

India wrap it up! ?

They seal a 317-run win and have levelled the series 1-1! #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/NKdpouEO6g

— ICC (@ICC) February 16, 2021

India went in with three spinners in the second Test — Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel — but it is safe to say the side will look at going in with two spinners and Kuldeep may face the axe.

Umesh Yadav had passed his fitness Test on Sunday and as a result, he has been added to the hosts’ squad. The returning pacer may be given a go straight away along with Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma. But Mohammed Siraj will also look to give Umesh tough competition for a place in the XI.

India needs to win the ongoing series by at least a margin of 2-1 to make the finals of the WTC, but if the side loses another game, Kohli and boys are out of the WTC contention. On the other hand, England has to win both the remaining matches to qualify for the WTC finals and if the series ends in a 1-1 or 2-2 draw, then Australia would make the finals of the WTC.
Even if England wins the series 2-1, Australia would still make the finals of the WTC.

SQUAD: India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj, Umesh Yadav.
England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.