Jason Gillespie feels that disciplined bowling will be key to dismiss Virat Kohli

What’s the Story?

Virat Kohli was in sublime form in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and was able to dictate terms to the bowlers with utmost ease. The Indian was the leading run-scorer for the Men in Blue in the series.

In a recent interview with Times of India, Jason Gillespie highlighted few strategies to get rid of the big fish. “Kohli is an amazing player. Once the field spreads, he can bat safely. I don't think Australia need to get into a verbal battle or get into staring competitions with Kohli. The best way to put him under pressure is through disciplined bowling. I would like to see the Aussie quicks bowl bouncers throat high to get him on the back foot, make him think about it. The follow-up ball remains the key. Make him come forward inviting the drive. If there is movement off the wicket or in the air, then the edge comes into play”. he said

The former Aussie fast-bowler also emphasized the significance to dismiss India’s other top-order batsmen. “Maybe they can bowl on the stumps with two catchers on the onside. It's about getting him out of his comfort zone. But it's important to get rid of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan quickly too," he added.

In case you didn’t know…

In the One Day International series against Sri Lanka, Kohli turned out to be India’s leading run-scorer of the series with 330 runs at a staggering average of 110.00. He followed it up with a scintillating knock of 82 runs in the one-off T20 game against the Lankans.

The details

During the interview, the lanky fast bowler also said that the current Australian team is good enough to get the better of Virat Kohli’s men in the series. He also feels that the series will be a close-fought one and Australia will take home the series by a margin 3-2.

What’s next?

The five-match One Day International series begins on 17th September in Chennai. The remaining four games will take place in Kolkata, Indore, Bengaluru and Nagpur.

After the conclusion of that series, Australia will also play a 3-match T20 International series against their sub-continent rivals, which will be played in Ranchi, Guwahati and Hyderabad.

Author’s Take

Virat Kohli has mastered the art of scoring runs and absorbing pressure during crunch moments of a game.

The Australians have seen enough of Virat Kohli in the past few years and therefore should take a measured approach while bowling to the Indian batting stalwart.