The ongoing series between England and India is more Virat Kohli's bat against the English attack and former England captain Alec Stewart believes that the Indian captain carries more pressure and expectation than Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli has been in irresistible form in the recent series and has already scored more than 400 runs so far and his efforts carried the Indian batting at Edgbaston and then again at Trent Bridge.
'These days everyone has an opinion'
"It's potentially harder on Kohli than Tendulkar because of the accessibility now -- TV, radio, social media, online, these days everyone has an opinion. The spotlight is even greater now," Stewart said in an interview to Hindustan Times.
The Surrey director had played an integral part in inking a deal with Kohli, but then a slip disk did now allow the Indian captain to ply his trade for the county before the season. However, Stewart is not at all surprised by Kohli's form and his remarkable turnaround in England.
"I'm not surprised at all. He is world class; I am a massive fan of him. Top players will always find a way to succeed. I expected him to do well, whether he played for Surrey or not -- he has talent and mental strength to perform well," he added.
Speaking about India's emphatic performance at Nottingham, the former wicket-keeper said that it was a Test where the visitors ticked all the boxes. While captain Kohli carried the batting, he believed that the bowling and slip catching ensured that they finish on top on all days.
"Under Virat, India have become a very competitive and proud unit. India would have lost the series otherwise, and it was a very, very good performance all around. Kohli's batting was exceptional. Virat is the best in the world and India's bowling and catching was right," he assessed.
England are currently mulling a change in wicket-keeper as they want Jonny Bairstow to shun the gloves and focus on his batting. However, Bairstow is keen to continue with the job and Stewart believes that Bairstow is a player who wants to contribute in more than one departments.
However, he left the decision to the management and hoped that the best interest of the team is kept in perspective while making the eventual call.
