“Of course it will have an impact,” Australia coach Justin Langer said when asked about Virat Kohli’s return home after the first test in Australia later this year for the birth of their first child. Using a parallel from Australian football, Langer compared Kohli’s absence to “taking Dustin Martin out of Richmond” but emphasized that even without their captain, India “is a very, very good team” and “we have to be on our toes all summer long. “. “.
“Are we glad he’s not playing? It’s like getting (AFL star) Dustin Martin out of Richmond,” Langer laughed at a press interaction today. “Of course it will have an impact, but we also know that India beat us last time (in 2018-19). They are a very, very good team. We cannot be complacent for a second with or without Virat.
“So we’re going to have to be vigilant all summer, and we’re really looking forward to that.”
Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their first child around the turn of the year, and Kohli has applied for, and been granted, paternity leave. The tour will start with three ODIs, followed by three T20Is, with the four-round Border-Gavaskar Trophy played at the end. In a press release earlier this week, the BCCI confirmed Kohli’s return after the first test, which will be India’s first overseas day and night test, but did not specify whether Kohli will rejoin the test team. from India at a later stage, though any return would. you will have to negotiate strict quarantine protocols, increasing the time you will be unavailable.
However, when it comes to Langer, taking time off for “one of the great things you’ll do in your life” was worth the sacrifice on Kohli’s part.
“Virat Kohli is probably the best player I have ever seen in my life for many reasons, not only because of his hitting, but because of his energy and passion for the game, the way he plays. Everything that he does. “I also have respect for him in the sense that he has made this decision (to take paternity leave).
“He’s a human being like all of us. It’s the same with Kane Richardson. He sacrificed the IPL so he could be at the birth of his son a couple of days ago. So if I were giving advice to any of my players, I’d always I would say never miss the birth of your children, because it is one of the best things you will do. Virat is a human being and I respect his decision. “
The Indian contingent, minus Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma, both with injuries, arrived in Sydney from the United Arab Emirates on Thursday and entered a two-week quarantine immediately.
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