'Confidence makes a huge difference' - Aakash Chopra points out the difference between Virat Kohli and Joe Root

The Test series between England and India has been quite an eventful affair so far. India secured a thrilling victory in the Lord’s Test, whereas the hosts bounced back in the third test to level the series. However, captain Joe Root has stood out for the team in the series so far. On the other hand, his counterpart Virat Kohli hasn’t been able to put big performances in the series yet. The former India opener Aakash Chopra revealed the difference between Kohli and Root.

Joe Root is enjoying a purple patch in his career as he has been extremely impressive with the bat lately. In the ongoing Test series, the England skipper has already scored 507 runs in three matches at an average of 126.75. Root has hit three centuries and a half-century with 180 not out being his highest score, while Virat Kohli has scored only 124 runs in three matches at an average of 24.80 with one half-century.

I feel confidence makes a huge difference: Aakash Chopra

When asked about the exact difference between the two captains, Aakash Chopra pointed that confidence is the major aspect that plays a big role in the performances.

“There is a difference in runs. Root has reached 725. I don’t know where he has reached; he is not stopping at all and is in a purple patch. Kohli is trying to figure out ways on how to score runs. It is not easy,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

“I feel confidence makes a huge difference, from where you are starting. India’s last Test series was against England in India; those were tough pitches, only Rohit Sharma could leave an impression as a batsman, a century each from Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin, but that’s about it,” he added.

Chopra further stated that every great player goes through these phases in their career. He pointed that at times the players enjoy their purple patch whereas they also go through a tough phase where scoring runs gets challenging.

“He (Joe Root) is in his own zone like Virat Kohli was in 2018. Every great player, who plays for a long time, will always go through such a phase sometime or the other where you will either get into a purple patch or you are just trying to figure out ways to score runs, sometimes ugly runs. That is what Virat Kohli is doing at the moment,” Chopra added further.