Former England skipper Graham Gooch reckons Virat Kohli has an “extra motivation” to improve his record in England and that makes him more dangerous for the home side in what will be a tight Test series due to the prevailing heat wave in the country. The first Test starts at the Edgbaston, Birmingham on Wednesday.
In an interview with BCCI.tv, Gooch said, “He (Kohli) is a top-ranked player in the world at the moment and I think a dangerous customer for England as he has the motivation to improve his record in this country. Every player wants to be known to be able to play well in all sorts of conditions.”
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A discussion on Kohli led to an unavoidable comparison with his English counterpart Joe Root and according to the legendary batsman, what sets the duo apart, is their ability to play the match- winning knocks under tough situations.
Talking about the duo further, Gooch said, “They are both match-winning players. I love watching Virat Kohli and Joe Root bat. They both play all around the wicket and they are both positive, very focused and I like to see that. When Virat Kohli or Joe Root played an innings that helped them win the match for their team. That’s what counts, not the number of runs. It might be 50 in difficult conditions or 150 on a flat wicket but when your performance helps your side win the match, that’s when you should be proud of.”
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Gooch reckons tha the current heat wave in the UK could make the upcoming series a more even contest. He said, “Probably, it is hotter than what it is in India at the moment. I think that will level it up a little bit. If the conditions are overcast Broad and Anderson will come into play, but flatter wickets will make it a much closer contest. If the ball was moving quite a lot, it would have been a slight advantage for people like Broad and Anderson, who are world-class performers, when the ball is moving around. Maybe, one Test either way.”
