With the first Test between India and Australia round the corner, starting from December 6, skipper Virat Kohli is keeping no stones unturned to prepare for what is expected to be a grueling contest between bat and ball. In fact, he hit the gym with vengeance on Monday as the Men in Blue look to match their on field preparations with off field sessions in the gym.
Giving him company were Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Parthiv Patel.
Taking to Twitter, Kohli wrote: “That’s what happens when you do group circuit training! 🏋️”
“You need to be switched on from ball one. Because if Kohli has faced 20-odd balls and he has got more than 10-15 runs, he usually gets a significant score. And that is why it is so crucial to impact early. There cannot be any warm-up deliveries against Kohli. Don’t allow him to get going by giving him an easy shot — a half-volley, a tuck off the hip, a cut shot.
“If he is going to score runs, make him earn them, make him play really good shots, and make him take a risk. That applies to every batsman, but because Kohli is such a big and important player in this Indian side and so much rests on him as captain, it is really important to make sure you are switched on and you are bowling the best delivery you can,” he told ESPNCricinfo.
Another ploy that the former Australia pacer feels will work against Kohli is getting the ball to move early in his innings. “Everyone thinks Kohli has no weaknesses, and that is fair. He has a lot of strengths. But in England when the ball seamed or swung a little bit, I noticed he, at times, went really hard at the ball. I would like the Australian bowlers to have a look at that.
“On good surfaces where the ball is not really swinging or seaming, even if the length is not really quite there to drive, Kohli might still throw his hands at it and he will connect 99 times out of 100. But those deliveries in the UK were a bit different, with the Dukes ball, where Kohli nicked to the keeper and slips reasonably early a few times,” he said.
