Monty Panesar believes India missed Virat Kohli’s intensity in the opening Test, saying, “He would have been in England’s face.”

The aggressiveness of India’s premier batsman, Virat Kohli, who would have been in the faces of England players, was missed, according to former England spinner Monty Panesar

At Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, England stunned India by defeating the hosts by 28 runs in the opening Test of the five-match series. With Ollie Pope’s innings of 196 leading the charge, the Ben Stokes-led team staged an incredible comeback in the game after falling behind by 190 runs in the first inning. Thanks to his effort, India was assigned a 4th-inning target of 231, which they were unable to meet as rookie Tom Hartley took 7/62.

Captain Rohit Sharma’s leadership has been under scrutiny after an ugly loss in the opening game of the series, as a number of analysts have questioned his strategies in the second inning. The aggressiveness of India’s premier batsman, Virat Kohli, who would have been in the faces of England players, was missed, according to former England spinner Monty Panesar. The 41-year-old added that Rohit Sharma will have a difficult task in trying to lead India back in the series without Kohli because India has sorely missed his intensity on the field.

“Hey, do it again; let’s see how good you are,” would have been Virat Kohli’s message to these England players if he had been participating in the match. This is a group of English players who don’t fear failure or defeat. “They (England) would still play in the next four games without the fear of failure,” News18 cited Panesar as saying.

“Virat Kohli possesses the intensity and presence that the Indian squad currently lacks. That presence and aura are Virat Kohli’s. India will face severe consequences if England prevails in the upcoming Test match. For Rohit Sharma, this is a crucial moment. He must demonstrate that, in the absence of Virat Kohli, he can win the game.

Monty Panesar also forewarned India that England would win 5-0 if Pope and Hartley kept playing like that.

It will be a whitewash if Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley play this way going forward. Monty Panesar

“If Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley play like that, England will win 5-0 and it will be a rout. If Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley continue to play this way, it may occur,” he added.

In the meantime, with Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul out of the second Test owing to injuries, India will have a difficult time deciding on their playing lineup. The men’s selection committee has named Saurabh Kumar, Washington Sundar, and Sarfaraz Khan as the substitutes for the second Test, which will take place in Visakhapatnam on February 2.