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Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series starting on November 22nd, on Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament, former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Manjrekar spoke exclusively about Virat Kohli, discussing what challenges he might face in Australia and what Australia's plans could be against him.
He'll be very, very hungry to get runs: Sunil Gavaskar on Virat Kohli
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports, India legend Sunil Gavaskar highlighted Kohli’s eagerness to perform in the toughest rivalry of India vs. Australia. Gavaskar expressed confidence that Kohli would excel in the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, drawing on his past successes in Perth and Adelaide. He said, 'Because he hasn't got runs against New Zealand, he'll be very, very hungry. Even in that Adelaide Test match, where in the second innings we got all out for 36, in the first innings, Kohli got 70 plus, if I recall correctly, before being run out. He's consistently performed at Adelaide, so it's a familiar ground for him. And before Adelaide, it's Perth, where he played one of the finest Test centuries in 2018-19. A terrific hundred. Having performed on these grounds, he'll feel that extra bit of confidence. Of course, you need a bit of luck at the start, but if he gets off to a good start, he will get big runs.'
Sanjay Manjrekar highlights on Australia's strategy against Kohli
Sanjay Manjrekar, another former cricketer, provided insights into how Australian bowlers might challenge Kohli’s current batting style. He stated, 'I think Virat knows exactly what's going to be planned. They'll start with that line outside the off stump and gauge what his mindset is. These days, he often leaves balls outside off and looks to drive anything pitched up. Australia might also try to cramp him for room and attack his body since he likes to get forward. This was a tactic New Zealand used effectively. If he's focused on balls outside off stump, bowlers like Josh Hazlewood might target that typical Vernon Philander line on middle stump. Australia will test various strategies, and Virat Kohli is fully aware of that.'
(With Inputs from Press Release)
