With the India tour of Australia less than three weeks away, for Indian fans all eyes will be on Virat Kohli and how the Indian captain will plan the test that Australia will pose. The last time India toured Australia, Kohli’s team made history when India recorded a series of tests in Australia after 71 years. This time, however, the test will be much tougher with the return of David Warner and Steve Smith, who, due to their respective bans, were not part of the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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In addition to looking at back-to-back wins in Australia, Kohli will be looking to hit a good series with the bat and try to get past Steve Smith, acknowledges former Australia captain Steve Waugh. The Kohli vs Smith battle is one of the fiercest rivalries in modern cricket and the last time these two met in a series of tests, the 2017 Border-Gavaskar trophy in India, Smith took the honors with 499 runs in four matches, while Kohli had a silent series, with just 46 runs from three tests.
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“He (Kohli) is a world-class player. I would like to be the hitter in the series. Last time he and Smith met in India, Smith really dominated with three hundred and Kohli didn’t get many, ”Waugh said in a video posted by ESPNCricinfo. That would be in the back of his mind the last time he was outmatched by Steve Smith. So he’s going to want to score a lot of runs and if he does, India will have a great chance to win. “
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Waugh doesn’t buy into the idea of using the sled as a tool to get under Kohli’s skin. As seen in the past, useless talk has no effect on Kohli; instead, if anything, it only irritates him even more, and Waugh feels that the unnecessary sled will only push and motivate the Indian captain even more.
“The sled is not going to worry Virat Kohli, it does not work against the great players and it is better to leave those guys alone. I think any extra motivation will make them go deeper and get more races. So you better not tell him too much, ”Waugh added.
Kohli is India’s most successful test captain, leading the team to 33 wins in 55 games, including series wins in the West Indies and Australia. Waugh acknowledges that the captaincy has helped Kohli mature and, with him in charge, India looks completely different with Kohli’s style that rubs off on the entire team.
“He has definitely matured, he was always excited on the field, he may not have a bit of control. But now he is in full control and has the team playing his mode. He wants India to prove its worth away from home to justify the number one spot. It has taken them to a level they may not have reached before, ”Waugh said.
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