Former Australian National Cricket Team bowler Jason Gillespie has lavished praise on Team India captain Virat Kohli for his hard work and sheer consistency in the top-flight cricket. Gillespie added that Kohli’s is solid against the slow bowlers which certainly make him indomitable.
“Virat has a solid front foot and back foot game and is very good against the spinners. Basically, he lacks nothing…,” Gillespie told Telegraph India.
The 30-year-old top-order batsman Kohli had recently smashed his 39th One-day International hundred which came at Adelaide against Aaron Finch-led Australia on January 15.
The 43-year-old New South Wales-based bowler Gillespie reiterated he avoids to stumble onto the comparison. But Kohli is among the elites of the game he has had witnessed over the years.
“I don’t like making comparisons, but Virat Kohli’s right up there with the very best I’ve seen…,” Gillespie said on Kohli.
Happy to retire before Kohli’s juggernaut:
Interestingly, Gillespie didn’t shy away from saying that he is happy to hang his boots on time before the emergence on Kohli.
“I’m glad I’m a retired fast bowler and, so, don’t have to worry bowling to him…,” Gillespie said.
The right-arm paceman Gillespie has been a competent coach in the English County cricket which further saw him doing wonders at home.
Gillespie asserted the top-order batsman Kohli has a knack of doing well. Pertinently, with the latest ton at Adelaide Kohli tied up with his teammate Rohit Sharma and Sri Lankan legendary batsman Kumar Sangakkara to record five hundreds in ODI while donning the colours in the 50-over fold.
“Besides, Virat has that desire to do well,” Gillespie added.
With a recent win in the second ODI by six wickets, following a ton from Kohli and an unbeaten half-century from MS Dhoni, Team India set up a final clash at the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCG).
India are favourites for the virtual final at MCG: Jason Gillespie
Gillespie has termed Kohli-led Men in Blue for the virtual final commencing from January 18.
“The result has really set up Friday’s ODI… I’d say India would begin favourites as they have a more experienced team,” Gillespie stated.
Gillespie also reminisced about the second Test held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in March 2001. India won the game by 171 runs. However, Gillespie four wickets and scored 52 runs.
“I have neither forgotten the dramatic Test at Eden Gardens. Nor, for that matter, the entire series which India won,” Gillespie concluded.
For Australia, Gillespie who has a double hundred in Test cricket featured in 71 Tests, 97 ODIs and a solitary wicket in the T20I fold. He has bagged 402 scalps across formats between 1996 and 2006.