Former all-rounder Shane Watson has advised the Australian team to avoid any confrontation with Virat Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he feels the intensity that the famous Indian batter gets from provocations helps bring out his best. While in poor form, Kohli has enjoyed great success in Australia in the past and will look to bounce back in the five-match Test series that begins on Friday at the Optus Stadium.
Provoking the Indian batting support has often proven counter-productive for the Australians and Watson has experienced this first hand.
“The one thing I know about Virat is… because the fire burns so bright and deep within him, the intensity he brings to every ball he bowls in the game has been superhuman,” Watson was quoted as saying in an interview with the Willow Podcast Talk.
“But there have been moments in his career lately where the fire has started to fade because it’s very difficult to maintain that intensity every moment he’s in the game.”
“And that’s where Australia will have to leave him alone and hope he doesn’t bring the intensity – nine out of 10 – to every ball.” Kohli has played 13 Tests for Australia since 2011, scoring 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08, including six centuries and four fifties, with a top score of 169.
While this will be his fifth tour Down Under in the longest format, Kohli’s best performance came in the 2014-15 series when he scored 692 runs in four Tests at an average of 86.50, including four hundreds and a half centuries.
These remarkable numbers did not go unnoticed by Watson.
“We saw that when he was successful in Australia, he was at the top of his game in the middle. He is ready for every ball, every single moment.”
“You can see the fierce intensity he brings and if he gets it, it overshadows everything else. That’s when he’s at his best.”
“If there is something going on around you and that intensity is not there, then you will not see the best version of Virat. So from an Australian perspective, hopefully we can see that version of him,” Watson said. .
Kohli’s performance in the red-ball format this year has been below par, with just 70 runs in six Tests at an average of 22.72.
“Smith wasn’t really at his best in his debut.”
As the discussion turned to the Australian batting, Watson backed Steve Smith to be at his best against the formidable Indian bowling attack.
Smith will return to his usual fourth spot after struggling at number one following the retirement of David Warner.
“Steve wanted to open up. He was eager to take on a new challenge. But one thing about that innings was that he wasn’t really batting at his best at that point,” Watson noted.
“So he got the opportunity to get open and Steve Smith at his best would have made the most of it because he just loves to score, whether it’s the opener or the fourth. You could see it a few times when he came on when he debuted – his play and technique were a little off.” For the series decider against fierce rivals India, the Australian selectors have selected 25-year-old uncapped Nathan McSweeney to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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