When it comes to tackle Virat Kohli in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series, Australia’s legendary fast bowler Jeff Thomson had some straightforward advice for Pat Cummins and company. In a recent interview, Thompson stated that Kohli will be crucial to India’s success in the Test series and that getting him out must be the Australian bowlers’ top aim. The illustrious pacer stated that Australia’s bowlers will have to force Kohli out of his comfort zone in order to pull him out of the game quickly.
It is identical to everyone else. It’s the same as bowling to anyone else if Virat is your target. You attempt to restrain him and discomfort him. Don’t let him score runs because his great variety of shots make it difficult to keep him quiet. Make him assume more danger. It’s more said than done to push him outside of his comfort zone. Good bowlers will have more opportunities to do so. On the Backstage with Boria show, he added, “That’s how you bowl to great batters like Viv Richards, Greg Chappell, and Sunny Gavaskar.
You cannot retreat. You must exercise judgement. It’s a mental conflict between you and him (Virat). The first to break is the loser. To succeed, you must possess greater mental fortitude than he does. Both batters and bowlers figure out who the good players are. They must have a Plan B or C in place and monitor events. Jeff Thomson said, “Somedays it doesn’t work, but if you know you gave it your all and didn’t bowl too much garbage and made him score easy runs, that’s what you can do.
Virat Kohli has regained his form in ODIs and T20Is, but he hasn’t scored a century in a Test match since scoring a century against Bangladesh in a Day-Night Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in November 2019.
