NZ v IND 2020 – Virat Kohli Is At His Best When He Is Riled Up – Gautam Gambhir
Feb 28, 2020 at 4:51 PM
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir wants a riled up Virat Kohli to take the field in the second Test match against New Zealand in Christchurch. It is cognizance of the fact that Kohli likes to take the bull by its horns and his attitude brings the best out of him. However, Gambhir believes Kohli has been a bit sedate on the ongoing tour of New Zealand, which hasn’t got Kohli firing at all cylinders.
Meanwhile, when Kohli was asked that will he take the New Zealand tour as revenge for the World Cup semifinal loss, Kohli’s answer was a clear no. Kohli had said that the Kiwis are nice guys and you don’t think like that when you play against them.
Kohli will need to be at his best.
However, Kohli’s former Delhi and India teammate, Gautam Gambhir thinks otherwise. Kohli has had a mundane tour of New Zealand thus far and he has scored a solitary fifty on this tour.
“He is at his best when he is riled up when he has a contest. Revenge may be an exaggerated thought but I am not sure of “nice guys” emotion either,” Gautam Gambhir wrote in a column for Times of India.
Kohli had said before the tour, ‘Even if you want to think of revenge these guys are so nice that you can’t get into that zone.’
I am not sure if this part of Virat Kohli really works for him,” Gambhir wrote.
Virat Kohli had struggled to get going in the first Test match as he could manage a score of two and 19 in both the innings. Kohli was not allowed to play his natural game and the New Zealand bowlers were successful in executing their plan.s against him
“I think Kohli is wired up to be that emotionally charged sportsperson who can play a cover drive with the calmness of a sage and then lead his troops like an animated cheerleader,” Gambhir further opined.
It would be imperative for India that Virat Kohli bats at his absolute best if the visitors are to level the series. Kohli is India’s best batsman and he would need to deliver the goods in the second Test. The second Test will take place at Christchurch from 29th February.