Virat Kohli will never worry about Johnson, but will always have doubts against Anderson: Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan recently highlighted the significance of swing in cricket. The former Indian all-rounder opined that swing could trouble batsmen more than pace.
To strengthen his claim, Pathan said Virat Kohli would never worry about a fast bowler like Mitchell Johnson, whose pace was his key strength. In Pathan's view, Kohli will always have doubts while playing against James Anderson, whose primary weapon is swing.
In his column for the Playfield Magazine, Irfan Pathan mentioned that no batter in the world is comfortable against quality swing bowling. Giving Virat Kohli's example, the former Indian cricketer wrote:
“You ask Virat Kohli, he will never worry about Mitchell Johnson bowling fast because he knows he can come in line, but he will always have doubts about James Anderson. No batsman in the world is comfortable when the ball is moving. The corridor of uncertainty, remember? It will remain open forever."
Irfan Pathan believes the current bunch of batsmen do not fear pace. According to him, better bats and equipment have made the job a little more difficult for fast bowlers. The 36-year-old felt the bowlers definitely needed a skill like swinging the ball to survive.
Speed alone cannot guarantee success: Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan gave one more example in the same column to conclude that speed alone could never guarantee success in modern-day cricket. The former Indian pacer drew attention to how players like Rishabh Pant and Jos Buttler use the pace of the ball to push it towards the boundary line behind the wickets.
“We have seen Rishabh Pant and Jos Buttler playing lap shots and reverse sweeps to Pat Cummins and Jofra Archer. Speed alone cannot guarantee success, because batsmen no longer fear pace," Irfan Pathan added.