Hard to see past Kohli: Hussey on India’s key players for WTC final
NEW DELHI: Michael Hussey feels it is “hard to see past Virat Kohli” if India are to win the World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval in London from June 7.
Besides Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma will be key to India’s chances in the WTC final, the former Australia batter said.
“It’s hard to see past Virat Kohli. He (Kohli) is obviously coming back into some great form again in all forms of the game really, so both he and Rohit Sharma with the bat are going to be important for India,” Hussey told the ICC website.
Kohli is back to his best and recently scored back-to-back hundreds in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Kohli has reached the UK along with Mohammad Siraj, and the team is training at Kent Cricket Ground ahead of the final.
India recently won the home series against Australia but the WTC final will be a different ball game, reckons Hussey.
“It is going to be played in
England, so English conditions will be different to the recent series in India, so I think the fast bowlers are going to be important.
“Pat Cummins (is a key for Australia) and Josh Hazlewood might be fit again which would be nice for Australia.
“But India have got so many great bowlers as well. You’ve got (Mohammed) Siraj and (Mohammed) Shami and obviously the spinners with (Ravindra) Jadeja and (Ravichandran) Ashwin as well. It’s a worldclass attack and the Aussies are going to have to be at their best to beat them.”
Hussey did not pick a favourite for the one-off game. The pressure will be on India who are yet to win an ICC title since 2013.
“I just want to see two great teams go head-to-head and see who comes out on top. We just want to see good, hard, fair cricket and whoever comes out on top deserves to.
And it should be a fantastic match,” said Hussey who is part of the IPL side Chennai Super Kings’ support staff.
BARCELONA: Rodrygo scored twice to give Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Sevilla in a Spanish league match that was missing fellow Brazilian Vin cius J nior following the international uproar against the racial abuse he has endured.
Vin cius did not travel with the team due to what coach Carlo Ancelotti said was a knee injury that also kept him from playing midweek against Rayo Vallecano.
His absence from the field comes amid a huge uproar that has reached his native Brazil after he was racially abused by fans during last weekend’s game at Valencia.
After the match, Ancelotti said that what he considered the “good” atmosphere inside Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium meant that things may be changing for the better, even if Vin cius was not there.
“I did not hear any insults, and this is the right way. We must congratulate the spectators,” Ancelotti said.
“They supported their side and did so correctly. They jeered our players, but that is normal. I hope we can have this type of atmosphere because it is good for soccer . ... Last week is over, the atmosphere has changed, and today was a good sign. People are starting to understand what one can and cannot be done in a stadium.”
Ancelotti added that the status of Vin cius’ knee will determine whether he can participate in Madrid’s last game of the season next weekend: a home game against Athletic Bilbao. RODRYGO STEPS UP Karim Benzema and forward Marco Asensio also missed the match with an injury.
The 22-year-old Rodrygo did just fine all on his own as the sole forward in Madrid’s starting lineup along with five midfielders.
Rodrygo, who missed a clear opportunity to score early in the game, said he was a bit upset with Ancelotti for replacing him with defender Nacho Fern ndez with 20 minutes to play to help protect the lead.
“I wanted a hat trick, but the coach said that was enough,” Rodrygo said.
Ancelotti, when asked about his player’s desire to keep playing, said: “He wanted to score, I wanted the win. We had different interests. But the team is always most important thing.”
Sevilla coach Jos Mendilibar, who has turned the team around since his arrival two months ago, rested some of his top players like striker Youssef En-Nesyri ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League final against AS Roma in Budapest. Sevilla will be aiming to win a record-extending seventh Europa League title.
Rafa Mir finished off an initial shot by Bryan Gil that had hit a Madrid defender and fell to the striker in the area to give the hosts a third-minute lead.
Rodrygo equalized in the 29th with a free kick that he sent around the side of the defensive barrier and caught goalkeeper Yassine Bounou off guard.
rik Lamela almost put Sevilla back in front when he hit the post in the 36th.
Rodrygo scored his second in the 69th after the Brazil forward received a ball from Toni Kroos on a counterattack and used a slick change of foot to glide past defender Gonzalo Montiel before beating Bounou.
Sevilla’s Marcos Ocu a was sent off for a direct red card in the 84th after his studs-first tackle on Dani Ceballos.
The win left Madrid in second place and Sevilla in 10th with one game left. Barcelona clinched the title three rounds ago.