Kohli has to beat blues for India’s rise AUSTRALIA PICK TWO UNCAPPED PLAYERS FOR TESTS VS INDIA
T2O SERIES As India look to bounce back, lot will depend on skipper setting right his poor record vs hosts since 2017
Virat Kohli has been in top form across all formats in the last two years. Since January 1, 2017, no other batsman has scored as many runs as he has in both Tests (2122) and ODIs (2662). His tally of 21 international hundreds is also the best in the world during this phase. Though he has not played too many T20Is in this period, his strike rate of 136.89 is by no means below par.
Staggering as Indian captain’s numbers have been, they come with a blot. Currently the No 1 ranked batsman in both Tests and ODIs, Kohli has dominated all oppositions during this phase except Australia — a team India are currently playing against and lost the opening T20 match to.
Having won seven consecutive bilateral T20 series, Kohli and his men will certainly want to make it eight in a row. But it doesn’t seem as straightforward a proposition as it looked earlier with Australia ready to come out all guns blazing after their allround show in the first game on Wednesday. So it is important that Kohli strikes form straightaway and gets his recent record against the Aussies right as India gear up to face the hosts in Melbourne in the second of the threematch series on Friday.
In 11 matches since the start of 2017 against Australia, Kohli has failed to taste success. In comparison to his overall average of 66.31 in 20 Tests in the same period, his average against Australia in three Tests reads a miserable 9.20.
His overall average in ODIs is 95.07 in 40 games since 2017, but it falls to a moderate 36 in five ODIs against Australia. In 18 T20Is too, his overall average is around 30 and 13 against Australia in 3 T20s.
What has worked for Australia is their pacers’ strategy to bowl outside the off-stump forcing Kohli to play away from his body. Of the 12 times he has been dismissed against Australia in this period, pacers got his seven times with three of those playing away from his body. While Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have dismissed Kohli once each, Nathan Coulter-Nile has got him on three occasions.
In the 13 innings against Australia, he has passed 40 only once. Of the seven ducks he has during this period, four have come against Australia. And on Wednesday at the Gabba, he was dismissed for 4 off 8.
On Friday, when India take on Australia in the second T20I of three-match series in Melbourne, Kohli would have an opportunity to overcome his recent struggle against an opposition he dominated in the past.
MUMBAI:
Australia have named two uncapped players in an inexperienced squad to take on India next month in their first home series since Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for a year following the ball-tampering scandal.
Opening batsman Marcus Harris and paceman Chris Tremain were included in the 14-man squad announced on Thursday to take on the topranked Indian tourists in the first two Tests in the four-match series in Adelaide and Perth.
Harris, who hit an unbeaten 250 for Victoria against New South Wales last month, was preferred to Matt Renshaw and looks likely to open the batting with Aaron Finch, who got his first taste of test cricket against Pakistan in October.
“Marcus Harris has forced his way into the squad after an impressive start to the Sheffield Shield campaign for Victoria,” head selector Trevor Hohns said.
“Not only has he made plenty of runs, he’s displayed the mental application we believe is required to compete at Test cricket.”
Usman Khawaja has recovered from the operation he underwent after injuring his knee against Pakistan and will bring some welcome experience to the top order of skipper Tim Paine’s side.
Shaun Marsh, who has been in fine form with the bat recently, also offers plenty of test match experience, while his allrounder brother Mitch is one of the team’s vice-captains.
Middle order batsman Travis Head also made his debut in the series loss to Pakistan and retains his place in the squad while batsman Peter Handscomb, who was dropped for the Pakistan Tests, returns for another chance to cement his spot in the side.
Renshaw, South Africa-born batsman Marnus Labuschagne, all-rounder Michael Neser and fast bowlers Jon Holland and Brendan Doggett have all been dropped.
As expected, the first choice pace bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood remains intact while offspinner Nathan Lyon’s spot was also guaranteed.
Tremain, who earned his place in the squad with three five-wicket hauls for Victoria, and highly experienced quick Peter Siddle are unlikely to get a run unless there is an injury or Australia decide to go with a four-pronged pace attack. Squad: Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Chris Tremain, Peter Siddle.
SYDNEY: