IND VS AUS | Not going to sledge ‘clever’ Virat Kohli, asserts Matthew Wade

With the entire sporting world brought to a standstill by the ongoing pandemic, cricket fans needed something to cheer about. While they did not get any new information on the start of the IPL, there certainly was some good news on offer as India and Australia confirmed their tour at the end of the year. With the rivalry taking a huge step last year, where India won their maiden Test series Down Under, this is sure to be a riveting contest. 

However, there might not be as much 'chatter' around the Indian batsmen as we have seen in the past. Wade, who has represented his country in the longest format 32 times, is known for his sledging abilities. He has credited India, Kohli in particular, for the way the visiting team deals with sledging. The Aussie even went as far as to claim that the Indian team is “as good at doing that as anyone in the world” at it.

"I'll go out and play the way I like to play. We certainly don't go out chasing it. If it comes our way, then you deal with it out on the field. Virat's very clever in the way he uses his words or his body language, so they use it as an advantage now. To be honest I don't want to engage too much into that. I know they thrive off that energy which comes from two players. They are probably as good at doing that as anyone in the world at the moment, something I might stay away from this time," Wade told Cricbuzz.

Under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, India turned into arguably the best team of the previous decade. But that has not come down to the talent of world-class batsmen that India have at their disposal. The Indian fielding has received praise from all quarters of the cricketing world and their bowling has turned into a force to be reckoned with in all conditions. These facts are not lost on Wade who credited the versatility of the Indian bowling unit while calling the fielders an “elite” bunch. 

"They are a fierce team. They are in your face, elite fielders which India probably haven't been renowned for over a 20-year period. But they are up and about all the time when you are batting. It's going to be a huge clash," Wade added.

"Their fast bowlers have certainly come through in the last three-four years, their pace is their big weapon when they come here whereas when you go to India you are lucky to face four or five overs of fast bowling, it's all spin.”