NEW ZEALAND’S VARIETY OF FAST BOWLERS WILL CHALLENGE KOHLI & BOYS, SAYS PARTHIV

Former Team India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel feels Virat Kohli needs to give himself a bit of time in regards to his batting ahead of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand. “I think probably he will have to give himself a bit of time and try to think what he did in 2018 – where he got a number of hundreds. So, probably he is better equipped than he was in 2014, but there will be challenges and there will be challenges of a variety of fast bowlers. The reason being — it is not a one-dimensional fast bowling attack,” Prithvi Patel said on Star Sports show Game Plan.

Virat Kohli’s growth in English conditions has been phenomenal, especially if compared to the Indian skipper’s below-par 2014 tour to the one in 2018. In 2014, he managed only 134 runs in five Tests at a poor average of 13.40. Four years later, he hammered 593 runs in the five-Test series. Virat Kohli averaged 59.30 with two hundred in 2018. Considering this, if India wants to beat the Blackcaps in Southhampton, then they will surely need the same herculean effort from the captain.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag also feels Kohli needs to be patient and force the Kiwi bowlers to bowl at him rather than on the fourth and fifth stump outside off. “I think Kohli should show patience and he should leave a lot of balls. They must be made to pitch in the line and then he can score,” he told ANI. “He has to show patience and I am sure he knows that. I remember in 2014 when he didn’t score runs, he came back and spent time with Sachin Tendulkar and went back (in 2018) and scored a lot of runs.” Virat Kohli will lead India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand from June 18 at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton to decide the first champion side of the longest format. The WTC final will be followed by the five-match Test series against England.