"You will get out against someone or the other" - Piyush Chawla dismisses talks of Virat Kohli's struggles against left-arm spin
Piyush Chawla brushed aside Virat Kohli's perceived struggles against left-arm spinners ahead of India's final Super Four clash against Bangladesh.
Kohli was dismissed by Dunith Wellalage when he played early to a delivery that stuck on the pitch to give a simple catch to mid-wicket against Sri Lanka. Despite being dismissed by left-arm spinners 22 times in his illustrious ODI career, the 34-year-old averages almost 63 against them at a strike rate of 90.
Boasting stunning numbers with over 13,000 runs and 47 centuries in his ODI career, Virat Kohli is among the most revered batters in World cricket.
Speaking to Star Sports, Piyush Chawla felt if a cricketer plays as long as Kohli has, dismissals against certain types of bowlers are bound to happen.
"See, that depends on the day; if he really had a problem against left-arm spinners, and you’ve played so many matches, you will get out against someone or the other. If every team thought this way, they would include a left-arm spinner in their team always," Chawla said.
"But even in the shot he got out to recently (against Sri Lanka), it’s one of his scoring shots; the ball came on late from the pitch and he got out. Generally, that goes between square leg and mid-wicket, and he scores a lot of runs like that. And if we talk about him having a problem against a left-arm spinner, then I don’t think he would have scored 47 centuries in One Day cricket," he added.
Chawla also praised skipper Rohit Sharma for hitting his straps at the perfect time with the World Cup around the corner. The Indian skipper has scored three consecutive half-centuries, including top-scoring in India's 41-run win against Sri Lanka.
"This is the identity of a big player, just as we approach a big tournament, he comes back into form some way or the other, and he has shown this at the Asia Cup. This is the Rohit Sharma we all know. He is not trying to hit the ball hard; it’s just lazy elegance. He is focusing on timing the ball, and from the outside, it looks so fun to watch because he makes batting look pretty easy," Chawla continued.
The 36-year-old became the second fastest batter in cricket history to score 10,000 ODI runs in the Sri Lanka clash, behind only Virat Kohli.
"And these are good signs for Indian cricket because when your openers are giving you a good start, you get a bigger score, and it helps the middle order. And it is very important that when your middle order is good, then if your openers give you a good start, it becomes very good for the team," Chawla added.
Rohit was the leading run-scorer in the 2019 World Cup with 648 runs, including a record five centuries.
With the win against Sri Lanka, the Men in Blue booked their place in the grand finale on Sunday, September 17.
"The way his brain works is very good" - Piyush Chawla on Shakib Al Hasan
Piyush Chawla praised Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan for his astute thinking and the ability to land the ball in the right areas. Team India will square off against Bangladesh in their final Super Four game of the 2023 Asia Cup in Colombo on Friday, September 15.
However, the result is inconsequential for both teams as Team India are already through to the summit clash, and Bangladesh stands eliminated from the tournament.
"If we talk about Shakib, he is a very experienced player, and I’ve played against him as well. The way his brain works is very good; he is not a big turner of the ball, but he knows how to bowl in the right areas. So if the Indian team has to play him, we have capable players as well; they will know how to manage against him," Chawla said.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) spinner, however, believes that the Indian batters should have no trouble handling the veteran all-rounder.
"I wouldn’t call him a threat; I don’t think that any player is a threat. If you bat well, and India has such a long batting lineup, and a lot of set players, so there shouldn’t be a problem facing him," concluded Chawla.
Ranked the No.1 all-rounder in the World, Shakib has picked up 28 wickets in 21 games against India in his stellar ODI career.
The 36-year-old played a vital role in Bangladesh's series win against the seven-time Asia Cup champions at the end of last year.