Virat Kohli, India’s batting maestro, shared his insights on the England cricket stars ahead of the highly anticipated ODI World Cup match in Lucknow. The defending champions, England, are eager to make a comeback in the tournament as they prepare to face the high-flying Indian team, which remains the only unbeaten side in the competition so far.
England currently finds themselves at the ninth spot on the points table, having secured just one win in five matches. Their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are hanging by a thread. To keep those hopes alive, they must win their remaining four matches and simultaneously rely on other teams’ results.
In anticipation of the clash with England, Kohli was asked to name the bowler he would like to face, and he picked Mark Wood, expressing a desire to test himself against Wood’s pace.
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Virat Kohli stated, “Mark Wood, I have played against Mark Wood. I think he is a great bowler, he has the skill set to trouble the batsmen, so I would like to test myself against real pace.”
‘Would like to test myself against real pace’
Virat Kohli looks forward to facing Mark Wood ⚡️
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Kohli also praised England’s wrist spinner, Adil Rashid, describing him as a challenging bowler to face. “Adil Rashid is a very underrated bowler and he has been doing amazingly well for England, a very challenging bowler that I am looking forward to playing against,” remarked Kohli.
Kohli has a strong record against Rashid in ODIs, boasting an impressive average of 70.66 versus the spinner and being dismissed by him only three times.
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The 34-year-old also lauded Joe Root, expressing his desire to replicate Root’s reverse slap shot in the future. “Joe Root is a great all-rounder. The way he plays the reverse slap, I would like to take that shot,” added Kohli.
After a relaxing break in the picturesque setting of Dharamshala, following a four-wicket victory over New Zealand at the HPCA Stadium, India is gearing up for the upcoming clash in Lucknow. They have been working hard in preparation for the match, with a focus on maintaining their winning momentum in the tournament.
