Virat comes close to Sachin, says Saqlain

He has been part of many enthralling duels with Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan's spin great Saqlain Mushtaq says Virat Kohli is the only current player who "comes close" to matching the standards of his legendary contemporary.

"As a batsman, Sachin was a very big player. I cannot compare (two eras) but today Virat is the only one who comes close," Saqlain told PTI in an exclusive chat.

England's spin consultant Saqlain said that India's turnaround in the five-match series would largely boil down to how Kohli leads the batting line-up.

"We were talking amongst the English support staff about how he played at Trent Bridge. In this third Test alone, Jimmy Anderson beat his outside edge 40 times, and yet he played the next ball with so much confidence. Virat plays ball by ball, run by run and session by session. He has a tremendous hunger for runs and victory. When you have someone hungry like that, he can do anything to satisfy his hunger."
"They have a lot of physical strength, and it shows in their walking and running. It signals that they have put in the proper hard work to become fast bowlers at this level and they appear professional in every sense of the word."
"If there is any team, which has ill will for dropped catches, then that is not a team. The only way to overcome this disappointment is to give your best and we know that English fielders are giving 100 per cent."