Australia told how to get India’s Virat Kohli out early

By Chris David
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Updated: December 4, 2018
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Whenever Virat Kohli walks down to the pitch, there is always an expectation from the India captain to do well with the bat, and he tends to deliver on the majority of the occasions.

Virat Kohli and his men have traveled to Australia and are preparing for the upcoming Test series, and the right-handed batsman will be one of the key players for the visitors during their trip Down Under.

Former Australia bowlers Ryan Harris and Jason Gillespie have discussed the strategy on how to send the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain back to the pavilion without him doing the maximum damage to the hosts.

“Virat early on is a nervous starter, so you need to really get it up there and get him driving. What he does like is width, so you can’t be too wide,” Ryan Harris told ESPN Cricinfo.

“He looks for that good shot to get him away to give him that confidence. We’ve just got to make sure we challenge him early and hope he makes a mistake.”

Regarding Kohli, Jason Gillespie said: “You need to be switched on from ball one. Because if Kohli has faced 20-odd balls and he has got more than 10-15 runs, he usually gets a significant score. And that is why it Is so crucial to impact early. There cannot be any warm-up deliveries against Kohli.”

“Don’t allow him to get going by giving him an easy shot – a half-volley, a tuck off the hip, a cut shot. If he is going to score runs, make him earn them, make him play excellent shots, and make him take a risk.

“That applies to every batsman, but because Kohli is such a big and important player in this Indian side and so much rests on him as captain, it is really important to make sure you are switched on, and you are bowling the best delivery you can.”