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Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Ex-Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden lauded Virat Kohli, compared him to the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, and backed him to shine in the 4th Test at the MCG during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Matthew Hayden appeared on Star Sports, where he shared his thoughts on what Virat Kohli should do in the Boxing Day Test.
Hayden said, "There could have been magnificent wins, there could have been losses, there could have been spinning conditions—I mean, you can list off a hundred different areas where Virat Kohli, over his magnificent career, would have batted. But in Melbourne, he's going to have a good batting track. What he does need to do is find a way to continue staying at the crease. Flashing outside the off-stump is something that he's going to have to resist. And I suggest - he gets in line with the ball a bit more and looks to play down the ground a little bit more."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added, "I know he's a magnificent cover driver, but so was Sachin Tendulkar, and he put it away for a day. I sat in the gully licking my lips, thinking, you know what, this is magnificent, stubborn batting. I didn't look like getting a catch that day, and yet I felt like I was in the game that entire series. So, Sachin put away the cover drive, worked his way into the innings, hit off his legs beautifully, took on the spin, and addressed the areas of concern. He put a big cross through them and said, ‘Not on my watch today.’ Virat Kohli has got that personality, and I'm sure we'll see it in Melbourne."
(With inputs from press release)
