“Virat Kohli is a real competitor. If you will sledge him on the field, it will fuel him up and will come back to you furiously like a boomerang to hit you.” These words came from a former Australian cricketer to his present national side which is getting ready to visit India for a 4 test match rubber starting from February 23 in Pune.
While 20 days are left in the first game, ex-Australian batsman, also known as Mr. Cricket, Michael Hussey gave this strict warning to the current test squad saying that antagonising Indian skipper Virat Kohli on the field could be harmful to the visitors.
In an interview given to an Australian cricket website, Hussey said that Steve Smith and his men need to maintain their cool against India. “I wouldn’t try and fire him up. I think he thrives on that and he’s a real competitor. He loves being in the fight and loves the contest out in the middle,” said 41-year-old Michael Hussey. “I’d make sure we have some very clear plans and we try and stick to them as best as we possibly can. There’s no need to get involved in that sort of verbal barrage because I think that fires him up even more.”
“I’d make sure we have some very clear plans and we try and stick to them as best as we possibly can. There’s no need to get involved in that sort of verbal barrage because I think that fires him up even more,” he added.
Also, Hussey has asked the entire Aussie team to goof-up their cricket skills and just focus on the game rather than engaging in on-field words-exchange during the tough tour of the subcontinent.
Hussey further said, “You can’t get carried away with too much conversation and lose your concentration of what’s important, which is executing your skills. The team which will showcase their classic skills perfectly will make the most of the game. It’s not going to be the team that’s the most verbal or the most aggressive,” said Hussey, who has the highest average on Asian soil as an Australia batsman to have played five Tests or more in those conditions.
