IND v AUS | Australia would better off not saying much to Kohli, warns Steve Waugh
Virat Kohli is one of those combative cricketers who loves to get into fights with the opposition, well aware of that, Steve Waugh warned Australia not to say much to him. He added that sledging won't worry the Indian skipper much as it's better to leave great players alone on their own.
Over the years, we have seen that Virat Kohli is someone who loves to wear his heart on his sleeves and doesn't leave any stone unturned to get into the heads of the opposition side. Unlike many players, the Indian skipper thrives when there is chatter going on in the field as it further motivates him to prove his rivals wrong, something which he has done over the years with a lot of success. Australia had stayed rather away from Kohli the last time these two sides clashed in Australia and it wasn't one of the best Test series for Virat with the bat.
Former Aussie skipper Steve Waugh, who started using mental disintegration as a tactic to get into the heads of the opposition players during his heydays, has warned his countrymen against sledging Kohli as it doesn't worry him rather gets him going.
"Sledging is not going to worry Virat Kohli, it doesn't work against the great players and you're better off leaving those guys alone," Waugh said in a video posted by 'ESPNcricinfo'.
He applauded Virat Kohli and stated that he's a world-class player and will do everything possible to emerge as the best batsman of the series, so Australia would be better off not giving him extra motivation with their on-field banter.
"I think any extra motivation will make them dig in more and get more runs. So you're better off not saying much to him. He (Kohli) is a world class player, he would wanna be the batsman of the series. Last time, he and Smith came up against each other in India, Smith really dominated with three hundreds and Kohli didn't get many. That would be at the back of his mind that last time he was outscored by Steve Smith," Waugh said.
India's last tour of Australia had seen Virat Kohli's men scripting history as they became the first-ever Indian team to win a Test series (2-1) Down Under. Waugh outlined that Kohli's batting will enhance India's chances of winning the Test series. The veteran cricketer also reckons that Kohli is now more controlled than before as he has matured with time.
"So, he will want to score lot of runs and if he does, India will have a great chance of winning. He has definitely matured, he was always excitable on the field, may be a little not in control. But now he is totally in control and he has got the team playing in his mode, " the former batsman said.
"He wants India to prove themselves away from home to justify the number one ranking. He has taken them to a level that may be they didn't get to before," he signed off.
After the culmination of the IPL 2020, India will travel to Australia for a full-fledged tour that will start from November 27 with three ODIs followed by as many T20 Internationals and four Tests.
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