Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar praised the batting technique of Virat Kohli in the first Test against England and attributed his success to an adjustment in bat-speed. After having a forgettable tour to England four years ago, Kohli notched up his first century on English soil in the opening Test, albeit in a losing cause.
During a show on Sony Pictures Network, Gavaskar said, “It’s brilliant! The adjustment that he’s made in his bat speed. In 2014, he was feeling for deliveries outside the off-stump. Now he’s waiting for the ball to come, not pushing at the ball as much. At the start, he does. But that happens to everyone. The way he’s made that adjustment, mental adjustment, that is brilliant, fantastic. It’s just that little technical adjustment where he’s not pushing and playing close to the body.”
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According to Gavaskar, the English conditions demand a lot more footwork and patience. He said, “You can never be prepared for these kind of conditions. For players from the sub-continent, it’s not very easy, which is why I keep saying one must play more red-ball cricket, because that gives you a little bit of idea. You may not get world class bowlers but at least you will be playing first-class bowlers.”
Indian team is trailing the 5-match match Tes series by 0-1, but Gavaskar termed the visitors slow starters, and expressed optimism that they could make a comeback. India were blacked 4-0 in 2011 and also lost the 2014 series.
The batting legend elaborated, “India has been traditionally slow starters overseas, in the third Test we came back (in South Africa), but if it has been a five-Test series, we could have won fourth and fifth as well. So that is the big plus as this tour is concerned, that the Indian team will get an opportunity to come back and may be win this series.”
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When asked how the visitors can make a comeback in the series, Gavaskar was crystal clear in his views the batsmen have to make runs. He also feels that the selectors are clear in their views as they opted for the young and aggressive Rishabh Pant.
Gavaskar concluded by talking about Pant, he said, “It is an opportunity for sure and for the third Test he might get into the team. In fact, he might get in the team as a batsman down the order rather than as a wicket-keeper. He certainly is in the frame, the fact that he was chosen ahead of everybody else the moment (Wriddhiman) Saha was declared unfit, just tells you the thinking of the selection committee and team management.”
