Virat Kohli might be available only for the first test in the four-game India vs Australia series, but that hasn’t taken his attention away. Kohli’s aggression, his way of not shying away from jokes on the pitch, make him the focal point of any India-Australia series. In the words of former Australia captain Greg Chappell, Indian captain Kohli is “the most Australian non-Australian cricketer” in the world.
However, Australia’s head coach Justin Langer said on Tuesday that his team only plans how to fire Virat Kohli rather than focusing on how to taunt the Indian captain.
“What we talk about is how to get Virat out. He’s a great player, we don’t talk about whether we make fun of him or not. That is rubbish. We play with skill, not emotion, at least we try. We have to control our emotions, but he is a great player and an equally great leader, ”Langer said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. “I have a lot of respect for Kohli, but we are going to be very well planned for him because we know how important he is to India as a leader and as a hitter. Then we’ll have our plans in place. ”
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The former Australian starter agreed that the difficult part is executing the plans against a hitter of Kohli’s stature.
“The next trick is to run them, hopefully keep it out of the game with their runs. At the end of the day, that’s where it will have the greatest impact. We’ve seen him a lot now, and he’s seen a lot of us too. It will be an incredible contest. “
Langer said the competition between the Australian closers and Kohli would be great to watch, as well as the competition between Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and the Australian hitters. “It’s almost delightful for cricket lovers to see Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Michael Neser, James Pattinson or Nathan Lyon bowling with Virat Kohli. Like Bumrah and Shami playing our hitters. It’s going to be a great contest on Thursday, ”he added.
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Kohli will be available only for the historic day-night test in Adelaide starting on December 17, after which she will fly back home for the birth of her first child.
When asked to give his opinion on the spinning battle between Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon, Langer replied: “They are both world-class scions. Lyon is incredibly important to our team, I can’t speak for India, but Lyon is approaching their 100th test match. We know the kind of impact they have had on the current Indian team. I think he has fired them more than any other player on our team. So we are very fortunate to have him as part of our XI ”.
Lyon currently has 390 wickets in the game’s longest format, and roulette would seek to become the sixth roulette in world cricket to break the 400 wicket mark. On the other hand, Ashwin has 365 lots to his name in the longer format.
“It will be up to our batsmen to plan against each of their bowlers. Ashwin is no different. He is a weapon. But rest assured, our boys have learned from two years ago. We talk about constantly improving and learning. They will have their plans in motion. Whether it’s tougher left or right, everyone will play it differently. We are fortunate to now have an experienced hitting lineup. By the time they come out into the middle, as a coach, I will be very hopeful that they have plans in place, ”Langer said.
(With ANI inputs)
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