Australia star David Warner has hinted his team will not take the risk of throwing verbal volleys at India skipper Virat Kohli during the upcoming four-match Test series.
The team from Down Under had got a taste of Kohli’s attitude when he went on to score four centuries against them in 2014 after being sledged in the first Test. And Steve Smith’s men, it seems, have learnt their lessons from the past experience and are not willing to spur the in-form Indian star.
“For us, it’s about going out there and playing our brand of cricket. Virat Kohli is one of those players, if you niggle at him, it either makes him better or if you get under his skin, he’ll probably get even better. He’s a world class player at the moment and for us, it’s about going out and playing the best cricket we can,” said Warner after Australia’s warm-up game against India A ended in a draw.
“We’re not going out there to entertain the idea of sledging or banter. It’s out there and playing good cricket and a great brand of cricket and making sure it’s in the spirit of the game,” added Warner who, according to India A’s double centurion Shreyas Iyer, was among the two players who sledged him.
He further said that he was not disappointed with his performance in the drawn game. The southpaw managed only 25 and 35 runs in two innings but backed his game play.
“I’m not disappointed at all. That’s what happens with my game, the way I play I’m either going to go on and cash in, or I’m going to get out cheaply. That’s the way I play,” he said.
Speaking about Nathan Lyon’s performance, who took four wickets but conceded at an economy of over 5, Warner said:“I thought he (Lyon) bowled very well. When you’ve got a player (Iyer) who is in on a hundred, it’s always hard to contain with short boundaries. You’ve got to try and tinker a little bit, think a bit more. And out there he did that, he asked a few of the players what their thoughts were. I’m sure that he’ll look at a bit of footage and see what he can do to improve from what he bowled out there.”
When asked about his team’s plans to counter the threat of R Ashwin, the Australia opener said:“Well if he says he’s bowling at 60 to 70 per cent then Jesus, what else has he got? 24 or 25 five-fors in the last 12 months, bowling at 60 to 70 per cent. I’d hate to see 100 per cent then. We’ve got our plans. Everyone’s got their plans against Ashwin. He’s a very, very good bowler. We understand that.
“There are other bowlers that we have to be mindful of. So we know that he will play a crucial a role in this, but as I have always said we just have to adapt to the conditions and assess when we’re out there.
“The guys are in a great frame of mind, we’re ready to go. We’re pumped. And it’s been a much-anticipated series so we’re really looking forward to getting out there,” he concluded.