Australian cricketer Travis Head anticipates that Virat Kohli, India’s star batsman, will showcase his talent throughout the series.
“He’s pretty big. Everyone talks about Virat, wherever he goes. Maybe the closed sessions give him a bit of freedom, bit of space. There won’t be a series where you would play India and you wouldn’t talk about Kohli.”
Head acknowledges Kohli’s world-class batting abilities and emphasizes the importance of respecting his talent.
“No doubt, we will go through all their players, cannot wait to start well against them. Virat’s going to have his moments in this series, hopefully not too many of them. He’s a world-class player. Over the course of five Tests, he is going to play well at some stage. We have to understand and respect that. Hopefully, the players on our side also have their moments in the series.” Head said after the training session at Optus Stadium, Perth on Monday.
Kohli’s recent form has been below his usual high standards.
He averaged just 22.72 in six Test matches in 2023, a significant drop from his career average of 47.83 and his average of 54.08 in Tests played in Australia.
He managed only 91 runs in India’s recent 3-0 series loss to New Zealand at home, a series that marked his fifth tour of Australia.
Travis Head also expressed his understanding and support for Rohit Sharma‘s decision to prioritize family over the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“Hundred per cent, I support Rohit’s decision. I would have done the same in the same situation.”
Head acknowledges the sacrifices cricketers make in their personal lives for their careers.
“We sacrifice a lot of things as cricketers. While we live a privileged life, we miss important milestones in our personal lives. You don’t get that time back. Hopefully, he returns at some stage in this series,”
Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian cricket team, will miss the opening Test to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s leading fast bowler and vice-captain, will lead the team in Rohit’s absence.
Rohit is expected to rejoin the team during the first Test or before the second Test in Adelaide, which will be a day-night match played with a pink ball.
Head cautioned against underestimating the Indian team, despite Rohit’s absence for the crucial series opener.
“If you look at our history, you would not rule out any Indian team. In the last two trips, they’ve had injuries and doubts, and people questioned them, but they pulled off incredible performances. Whoever they play, it’s going to be a strong team,”
Head’s comments reference India’s impressive victories in their previous two tours of Australia, in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons.
India’s resilience and ability to succeed even without key players have become characteristic of their recent tours to Australia.
The team management will be looking to senior players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja to step up.
They will also be hoping for significant contributions from younger players like Sarfaraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal, especially in Rohit’s absence.
Nathan Lyon, Australia’s leading off-spinner and the highest wicket-taker in the history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, emphasized that the Australian bowling attack has strategies in place for every Indian batsman, not just Virat Kohli.
“Cannot wait to get cracking”
Lyon acknowledged the challenge posed by the Indian team, particularly given their recent series defeat against New Zealand at home.
“We know what India brings to the table so it is going to be a massive challenge for us. It is not just Virat, we have got plans for each one of their guys. They have a side full of superstars, the batting lineup which is exciting, it is a massive challenge for us,”
Lyon expressed confidence in Australia’s preparations and their anticipation for the series.
“We are looking forward to that, we have some plans in store. Let’s get cracking on Friday,”