“He'll be very, very hungry” – Sunil Gavaskar warns Australia of Virat Kohli ahead of 2024-25 BGT
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has backed Virat Kohli to deliver with the bat in Australia, where he has previously dominated, amid his lean patch ahead of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gavaskar reckons Kohli will be hungry to deliver Down Under after a forgetful run against New Zealand and Bangladesh in Tests. The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Kohli will convert big if he gets to a good start.
Notably, Kohli has managed just 93 runs in three home Tests against New Zealand. The Delhi-batter has scored just one half-century in his last Test 10 innings. He, however, enjoys a great record in Australia, scoring 1352 runs in 13 Tests at an average of 54.08, including six tons and four half-centuries.
Gavaskar told Star Sports (via The Times of India):
"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," he added.
Virat Kohli needs just 21 runs to complete 2,000 runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He has 1979 runs in 24 matches.
“This was a tactic New Zealand used effectively” – Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli’s weakness
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Australia will try similar tactics as New Zealand against Virat Kohli in the five-match Test series. He, however, reckons that Kohli must have found a way to deliver by overcoming his weakness. He said in the same interaction as Gavaskar:
"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,” he added.
Interestingly, Virat Kohli was dismissed only once by a pacer (Wiliam O'Rourke) in the first Test of the three-match series.