Stokes vows to spend time at the KOHL FACE
Big Ben admits he’s learning fast from master Virat
BEN STOKES believes all the hours spent watching Virat Kohli at close range won’t be wasted when it comes to improving his batting against spin.
The England all- rounder has never been one for homework, but he has been happy to study the Indian skipper at work as he has piled on the runs this series.
And even though the pair have had the odd spat, Stokes admitted he has the utmost respect for Kohli’s ability as a world- class batsman at the top of his game.
“He has been the main reason they have managed to score so many runs,” said Stokes.
“He is one of the batsman of our time, and you have just got to hold your hands up to him and appreciate the player that he is.
“You can learn from him, especially against spin. I stand at slip to the spinners and the guys who have got runs out here – not just Kohli – their footwork and their choice of whether to go forward or back has been the biggest thing that has stood out.
“They very rarely get beaten, playing and missing, with defensive shots. They know how to play the length of the balls on the wickets out here. You do look at them and understand why they are being successful. Kohli is a brilliant player but there is more than just being a good player that goes into it.
“His choices of going f forward or back are really g good and he has managed to p pretty much nail it every time.”
If there is one thing other t than supreme sporting ability th that the two players have got i in common it is their c competitive natures and drive to win.
Kohli has had the upper handh here and with one last gamega to play in Chennai startingst tomorrow, Stokes is desperated to at least come homeho with something to show forfo his and his team-mates’ efforts.e
At the moment all he has is a demerit point on his record fo for his clash with Kohli in M Mohali, when he responded t to the Indian captain with s some choice words.
Stokes says there has been n no ill feeling at all since then, a although there have been m more than a few people w wondering why Ravi Ashwin g got off scot free after his obvious altercation with James Anderson in Mumbai.
“If you are going to do one person then you have got to do the next person no matter who they are or who they play for,” said Stokes.
“It can’t just be that certain people get away with certain things but then not others. Chatter is part of the game so I don’t see any reason why they should try to clamp down on it so quickly, but if it is one rule then it has got be the same rule for everyone.
“From our point of view, we’ve lost the series and no matter the result India will still be walking out as winners but we’re a team that want to go back 3-1 not 4-0. We don’t want them to walk all over us.”