Former Australian captain Michael Clarke said that he would fight with the team management to keep Virat Kohli in his team. Clarke also added that Kohli did not have enough runs in his last few Tests, but still, he would back him because he was a one-of-a-kind player as well. On the Beyond23 Cricket podcast, Michael Clarke opened up on this.

When asked if Virat still has red-ball cricket left in him, Clarke replied: “It’s Virat Kohli! This guy can make a double hundred tomorrow. He’s that good a player. This guy could play, he should play until he’s had enough. If he retires from Test cricket right now, there’s only one team losing out, it’s India. If I was captain of any team that Virat Kohli was in, even though I know he didn’t make as many runs, he would have liked, I’m fighting for him to stay in my team.”

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During the India vs Australia series, Virat Kohli often lost his wicket while trying to play balls which were bowled outside the off stump. Fans and experts recalled how Sachin Tendulkar avoided cover drives to score a double century in Sydney and felt Virat should do the same as well.

Sharing why Virat could not bat like Sachin, Michael Clarke said on Beyond23 Cricket podcast: “Sachin was a different player to Virat Kohli. A lot of people throught this Australian summer were saying Sachin did it in a Test match. He got out cover driving a couple of times and then he let it go and made a 200 at the SCG. Sachin is a different player to Virat. Virat’s greatest strength is bat on ball. He just plays it in a different way.”