WTC final: [Watch] Virat Kohli plays stylish shots; Pant, Rahane seen in action
Virat Kohli and a few other Indian batsmen were seen sweating it out in the nets ahead of their crucial World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand in just three days' time.
The batsmen worked hard on getting their timing right while also attempting the occasional attacking shots. Virat Kohli received the throwdowns and looked to be in immaculate touch as always. Cover drives, straight drives, hooks - all range of shots were on display from the Indian captain.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was also seen fine-tuning his defense against quicks like Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. However, he also played a lofted shot off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling, which might be an indication of things to come against the New Zealand spinners.
Towards the end, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was seen playing proper cricketing strokes and dishing out an exhibition of perfectly timed shots. Rahane also worked on his defense and tried to play very close to his body.
Can Virat Kohli break his century jinx in WTC final?
There was a time when Virat Kohli used to score centuries almost at will across all three formats. Watching him remove his helmet and celebrate after reaching the milestone was the norm for the majority of Indian fans.
However, the past year-and-a-half has been quite difficult for the Indian skipper. Virat Kohli last scored an international hundred in the historic pink-ball Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in November 2019.
Despite looking in good form and crossing the 50-run mark on several occasions, Kohli hasn't been able to convert them into a hundred. Although the Indian skipper has been vocal about him not paying attention to his personal records, a century would do both him and the Indian team a world of good in the final.
New Zealand's pace attack will surely pose a threat to the Indian batsmen, who will need to post a decent first innings score. In that regard, Kohli scoring big is going to be really crucial to India's chances in the final.