Former Australian legendary pacer Glenn McGrath said that Virat Kohli performs similarly to Brian Lara if he is sledged. In fact, we have seen that Indian skipper likes to have the on-field banter and doesn’t take his steps back.
Thus, Virat Kohli likes to give it back to the opposition and it can never be a one-way traffic with him as far as sledging is concerned. Subsequently, the 2014 tour of Australia is the best example when Kohli was able to show why he loves performing under pressure. Kohli was able to score four hundred in four Test matches while playing Down Under.
It is not a good idea to prickle Virat Kohli.
Meanwhile, McGrath said that Brian Lara also batted in the similar fashion. If the southpaw Windies great was in the groove, then it wouldn’t matter in what way you try to lure him in playing a false shot.
“It just depends on how they are going. Brian Lara was very similar. When he was focussed and in the zone and if you said anything to him, that was it. You could lock in, he would score a double hundred. It was just his day. You knew that was going to happen,” McGrath, who is at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai guiding young pacers, told Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat.
McGrath went on to add that Kohli loves the on-field verbal battle. In fact, there is no denying the fact that sledging brings out the best in Virat Kohli. Therefore, it might not be a good idea for an opposition to get Kohli angry as he can do talking with both his mouth as well as the bat.
“So Virat’s probably a little bit similar (to Lara). If he is on form and focussed and scoring runs, I think he loves that banter, that challenge, and that aggression there and it gets him going”.
“But when you are off your game and you are not performing well. You are down on confidence, it can work against you. So little of bit chat here and there. But if you throw a willy-nilly it could work against you (as bowlers). It’s all part of the game, you have to enjoy it and have a bit of fun. Play hard, tough but fair cricket out there,” he concluded.
Virat Kohli was booed by the English crowd when he made his way to the crease. Kohli made sure that he had 149 runs under his bag when he went back to the pavilion. Consequently, he made sure everyone in the crowd stand up and applaud his knock.
