IND vs AUS | Commentators talk about Kohli non-stop, hopefully we keep him quite, asserts Pat CumminsÂ
Virat Kohli might well miss three Tests but he will be key for India in limited-overs series with Rohit already missing and Aussie pacer Pat Cummins wants to keep him quite. He stated that commentators talk about Virat non-stop as he is the big wicket and the team would want to trump him.
Australia might well not get to face their nemesis, Virat Kohli, in most of the Test series but he will be a key part of the Indian set-up in the three ODIs and T20Is each. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, the team will be heavily dependent on him given his great track record in Australia. Kohli has 1,154 runs in 26 ODI innings in Australia at 50.17 with five centuries. He is even better in T20Is Down Under as he averages 79.25 and has made four fifties in eight games with a strike-rate of 145.41.
Australia's premier pace bowler Pat Cummins stated that there are one or two key wickets in every side, for India, it's Virat Kohli and the team will look to outsmart him in ODIs and T20Is.
"I think every side has that one or two batters and they are the big wickets. Most teams have their captain -- Joe Root for England, Kane Williamson for New Zealand. You feel like if you get their wickets that goes a long way in winning the game," Cummins told 'Fox Cricket', reported Times of India.Â
"He (Kohli) is always a big one. You commentators talk about him non-stop, so hopefully, we can keep him quiet," he added.
Australia-India rivalry has grown manifolds with every passing year. In fact, last time, India had won their first-ever bilateral ODI series in 2019 Down Under and it will be a great contest this time too between both the sides. Cummins also feels that after a good UK tour, this will be a huge one for the Men in Yellow.Â
"It's going to be huge. Obviously, we're back here on home soil. other than spending a lot of times in hotels and bubbles I feel like our preparation has actually been really good."
"We went over to the UK and had a good tour there. Most of the boys here have been playing 14 T20 matches in the last few weeks and the other guys coming in will be playing shrewd cricket. So, it feels like we are all firing up and got a lot of stuff behind us," he said.
The lanky pacer also said that over the last couple of years, he has evolved as a bowler and become far than before.Â
"I was probably a bit quicker a few years ago but I feel like in the last couple of years I got better, learning different tempos within the game and also when I am bowling. I feel I got a bit more control on swing and seam. Whatever conditions we come up with, I have got a couple of tools I can go to."
The limited-overs series starts from November 27 in Sydney with the three-match ODI series.Â