England off-spinner Dom Bess said claiming India captain Virat Kohli‘s wicket in the opening Test was “special” and he was particularly pleased with the process he used to get it.
Bess claimed 4-55 in Chennai, ripping the heart out of India’s middle order, beginning with Kohli.
The 23-year-old drew one of the world’s best batsman forward with a flighted delivery and induced a thick inside edge which Ollie Pope grabbed at short leg.
“It’s certainly up there,” the spinner said when asked if Kohli’s wicket was the most satisfying of his Test career.
“The player of the calibre of who he is, I think phenomenal, a world class player, one of the best. But again, it’s more of a process — what I’m learning, what I’m doing that is getting me to that.”
Bess claimed the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane in his next over and went on to account for Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant as well to keep England on top.
“It was looking to get him out but it was not about bowling that magical ball,” Bess said of his “process”.
“It’s about smashing in 10-15 balls in a good area and then something will happen.
“It’s that process of getting there and that’s what I was really pleased about.”
Bess also defended spin colleague Jack Leach who conceded 94 runs in his 17 wicketless overs during which Pant smashed him for five sixes.
“Pant is a completely different player, Pant played a phenomenal innings,” Bess said.
“But how Leachy came back and just came smashing the length shows his qualities.”