Former Australian wicket-keeper bat Adam Gilchrist has advised Virat Kohli to take a leaf out of Sachin Tendulkar’s book to bounce back stronger in the third Test match against Australia. Kohli returned with scores of 7 and 11 in the second pink-ball Test against the Aussies, which India lost by 10 wickets at the Adelaide Oval.
Meanwhile, on the 2002-03 tour, Sachin Tendulkar was getting dismissed while trying to play the cover drive. However, in the fourth Test at Sydney, Sachin decided to leave that shot in the dressing room and showed great discipline against the Australian bowlers.
Tendulkar went on to score a majestic knock of 241* runs as he forced Australian bowlers to bowl at him.
Similarly, Virat Kohli has been troubled by the fourth-fifth stump line in the last couple of years and he has been found wanting while meddling with the outside off-stump deliveries. Gilchrist wants Kohli to do what Sachin did in that Sydney Test match against Australia.
Adam Gilchrist said on Cricbuzz, “The biggest battle, is not with what’s coming towards you from the bowler or the skill of the opposition, it’s more about battle between your ears. So, not suggesting that Virat scrambled any sense, but maybe he’s got to try and hone in on what Sachin Tendulkar did at the SCG. And say ‘right he’d say, right, I’m not gonna go chase anything outside off stump. You come to me.’ You just play the patience game.”
Gilchrist added that Virat Kohli has got all the experience under his belt and he has always handled the lofty expectations as he is mentally strong.
“He’s got enough experience under his belt to know that he’s mentally tough. He’s carried the weight of expectation since U-19 level, entering the IPL and becoming the icon that is,” Gilchrist said in the same interaction.
“He should be able to say to himself, I’m going to do what’s within my capacity to do the best thing for the team and if it’s a long patient game, so be it. If you play long enough, you’re probably gonna have to evolve in different ways and this might be an opportunity for Virat to do that,” he added.
The third Test match between India and Australia will be played at the Gabba, Brisbane from December 14.
