New Delhi
Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh said that the pressure on Virat Kohli to play in Australia will be less as compared to India, because the right-handed batsman likes Australian conditions and his record against Australia is excellent. Kohli reached Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy amid poor form. He averaged 20.62 in his ten recent Test innings, which is significantly lower than his average of 54.08 in Tests in Australia and his overall career average of 47.83.
But after scoring some historic centuries in Australia and leading India to a 2-1 series win here in 2018/19, he is expected to be at his best in the upcoming five-match series starting at the Perth Stadium from November 22. Waugh told Fox Cricket, “His record in Australia is excellent, he likes the conditions. I think he is a better player of fast bowling than spin. However, as per his standards, his performance has not been good and his average has dropped significantly, ‘.
“Maybe Perth will be a good start for him, because he scored a great century (in 2018) on a very difficult pitch. It’s always good when you have good memories on certain grounds.” He said, “There will be less pressure on them if they are in Australia compared to India. It is very exciting to play on our home soil in India. This series will be a new beginning for him.”
Kohli has dropped out of the top 20 of the ICC Test batting rankings for the first time since December 2014, but the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy will give him a chance to get his struggling Test career back on track. Waugh further said, “Australians still consider him a big wicket. They know what he is capable of and his record in Australia is very good and he loves the big stage. Waugh said, “India has beaten us in the last four series, so I think this will bring out the best performance from Kohli. Whether he is good enough and technically good enough to score runs or not, that is a different story.”
Former fast bowler Brett Lee is also confident that Kohli will be at his best again in Australia this summer and can cause problems for the hosts. “He has an Australian mentality, a never-say-die attitude. He has no qualms about getting into a fight. There has been a lot of speculation about his form recently, but I am not worried about it. I know Kohli has a lot of experience.”
Lee said, “He may have scored only 90 runs in the three-Test series against New Zealand, but who cares? When he comes here, his record in Australia is excellent.”
