India's heartbreaking loss against England in the 3rd Test at the Home of Cricket has raised several questions on India's ability to handle pressure situations. The Indian batting lineup that has been phenomenal throughout the first three games failed to chase down a par total of 193 runs in the 4th innings at Lord's.
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Coming into the series, the Indian Test side faced some heavy blows, as two of India's greatest batters - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from the longest format.
Former England player Steve Harmison has now weighed in on how big a blow Virat's absence is for this young Indian side. The pacer believed that had Virat been a part of the side, India would have chased down the target at Lord's.
Virat would have won that game comfortably at Lord's: Harmison
Virat Kohli has been one of the biggest stalwarts of Indian cricket and has been a flag-bearer of the red-ball game. He was one player who kept the essence of Test cricket alive and revived the format when it felt that it would die down.
Virat's impact to the Indian Test side, both as a batter and as a captain, has been enormous. He made India believe that the side can travel across the world and win games.
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Steve Harmison believes that while India has performed well, but they have failed to convert the performances to wins and this is where India missed their biggest legend, Virat Kohli.
Talking to ESPNcricinfo Match Day, Harmison said, "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 to create 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."
Virat's impact on the Indian Test side has been nothing short of inspirational. The man has inspired a whole generation of modern players to strive to play the longest format of the game and play it with heart and pride.
With India trailing 2-1 down in the series, the side would surely be missing the mentality and aura that Virat brought to the dressing room.
Meanwhile, India have started their preparations for the 4th Test against England, which is scheduled to be played from July 23rd at Old Trafford, Manchester.