Virat Kohli Reminds Me A Lot Of Ricky Ponting: Mathew Hayden
Mar 4, 2017 at 2:05 PM
Comparing Virat Kohli with his illustrious compatriot Ricky Ponting, former Australia opener Mathew Hayden has said the Indian skipper has mastered his own thinking.
The 28-year old has scored heavily in all the formats in the last couple of years or so and Hayden feels that having a firm control of his thinking has played a big role in that.
“Virat Kohli, he reminds me a lot of his game with that of Ricky Ponting. They are quite similar, passively aggressive. It’s almost like there is a cocoon around their batting crease. Nothing really can penetrate Virat,” said Hayden at a book launch event in Bangalore.
“Early days, I thought he was someone who didn’t have quite that control, but now he has mastered his own thinking. His performances are now so consistent. Even in the last few days (after India lost the first Test against Australia by 333 runs in Pune), he has come to the fore as a leader,” he added.
The former swashbuckling opener also had a word of praise for Kohli’s commitment.
“The other thing that I like about Virat is his commitment to excellence in his physical approach to the game. He will not tolerate mediocrity in any of the three formats,” he pointed out.
Citing the examples of some professional leagues, Hayden further said the Indian team is now giving importance to athleticism which has played an integral role in their ICC rankings.
“You talk about great professional sides of the planet – in EPL (English Premier League) and Australian Rules (Football) – they are super athletes. As cricketers, we always look to be better products, and that’s one of the non-negotiables that India have now started to build on. No longer is it acceptable to have what we call a Sydney Harbour Bridge over the ball (while fielding). You are now hungry in all three departments, and it has played a big role in India going up in the ICC rankings,” he added.