Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that during the forthcoming five-match Test series in India, which begins in Hyderabad on January 25, Virat Kohli will pose a serious danger to England’s Bazball strategy.
In home Test matches against England, Kohli has a 50+ average, as the former cricket player turned commentator noted. Against the English, he has a double hundred and two tons.
January 20, a Saturday, Gavaskar spoke to Star Sports:
“Agar unke bass Bazball hai to hamare pass Viratball hai (if they have Bazball, we have Viratball).”
Sunil Gavaskar
Virat Kohli has gathered a total of 1991 runs over 28 games, maintaining a 42.36 average, in encounters with England. He notched up five centuries and nine fifties. This 35-year-old athlete led India in scoring during the recent two-game Test competition in South Africa, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
The No. 3 batsman, who averages more over 60 at home, crushed 186 against Australia in Ahmedabad during his most recent Test match in India.
Sunil Gavaskar reveals why England’s Bazball can be effective in India
In contrast, Sunil Gavaskar thinks that India’s spin-friendly conditions might suit England’s Bazball strategy. The 74-year-old acknowledged the parallels to Twenty20 cricket, but he predicted the Indian spinners would win in the end. He said:
“Bazball can work, it’s because, over the last few years, the boundaries have become shorter. The bats are also well-built that even mishits go for sixes. So, yes, why not, Bazball can work and they will try to do it.”
“They will try to hit over the ground when spinners come out to ball. They might get out but it builds a mentality because the spinners that we have, they also play a lot of T20s.”
Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar continued, saying that the first Test in Hyderabad will determine how the series plays out overall:
“In T20s, your mentality is to avoid sixes and fours whether you get the wickets or not. You alter the flight and line. So, if they get hit for two or four sixes then they will change the flight and length and it can be effective.”
“The first Test will be very important. We’ve to see to the pitch in Hyderabad, it offers a lot of pace and bounce, which is good for the batters. It’ll be a good test for Bazball against our spinners.”
Sunil Gavaskar
For the uninitiated, during the most recent home Test series against England in 2020–21, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel took 32 and 27 wickets, respectively. That series was won 3-1 by India.