The 1st India vs England Test would be remembered for a long time as it was the first time in many years that there was no Virat Kohli in India whites. Just before the squad selection, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma anounced their retirements from Tests. It paved the way for the new generation to take over starting from the 1st India vs England Test in Leeds. Talking about the Indian dressing room missing Kohli, former England captain Michael Vaughan said that the side will miss Kohli’s ehnthusiasm but not his batting because his record in England is not great. 

Virat Kohli overall record is 123 matches, 9230 runs at an average of 46.85 with 30 centuries. In England, however, in 17    matches he scored 1096at an average of 33.21.  

“Kohli is a legend and a culture creator around this Indian team, and what he brought as a captain to the team is still there in terms of the energy and the drive and the aggression,” Vaughan said on Fox Sports.

“But he only averaged 33 here in the UK. You don’t massively miss someone that averages 33, but you miss someone that brings so much to the dressing room.”

Vaughan exuded confidence on the current crop of players.

He continued: “These players that are going to come in and play for India, they’re seriously good players. Maybe this new generation has been waiting. Maybe they’ve been waiting for this moment. Don’t be surprised that they play really well.”

Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal helped India make a confident start to a long tour, but England struck back with late wickets as the visitors went to lunch at 92 for two on the first day of the opening Test of the five-match series on Friday. Rahul (42) and Jaiswal (42 not out) made the England attack look pedestrian until the former and debutant B Sai Sudharsan (0) got out in the final moments of the first session.

Stokes’ decision to bowl first might have stemmed from the transformed nature of Headingley track which has become a batter’s ally in the last decade, and that character was visible in the first session of the match itself.

There was a hint of movement and swing for the pacers, but the Indian openers were well up to the task on a largely sunny morning.

An England attack that did not have either James Anderson or Stuart Broad in its roster did not seem to have the ammunition to trouble the Indian batters on a rather flaccid pitch.

The unit consisting of Stokes himself, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes either bowled too full for Rahul and Jaiswal to bring out their drives, or were on pads for the batters to milk them for some easy singles.

The England camp might just have mentally revisited the days when Anderson or Broad restricted the rival batters on such dry days with impeccable line and length, but those days have firmly passed, as the Indian batters received ample scoring opportunities.