Virat Kohli has got that personality, and I’m sure we’ll see it in Melbourne: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden and Virat Kohli. (Source – Getty Images/Twitter)

The ongoing edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is delicately poised at 1-1. For India to have any chances of asserting themselves with the bat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Virat Kohli, amongst others, will be anticipated to click with the willow. 

Former Australian opener, Matthew Hayden, resonated similar sentiments. Hayden pointed out the relatively easier conditions which Kohli could expect in Melbourne, and cautioned him not to fall for the ball wide outside the off-stump. 

“There could’ve been magnificent wins, there could’ve been losses, there could’ve been spinning conditions – I mean, you can list off a hundred different areas where Virat Kohli, over his magnificent career, would have batted. But in Melbourne, he’s going to have a good batting track. What he does need to do is find a way to continue staying at the crease. Flashing outside the off-stump is something that he’s going to have to resist,” shared Hayden while speaking to Star Sports.

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Hayden advises Kohli to take a leaf out of Sachin’s iconic Sydney knock

Furthermore, Hayden offered advice to make a technical adjustment which Kohli could implement. He took a trip down memory lane to recount his experience in the slip cordon while the legendary Sachin Tendulkar was in the middle during the 2004 Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. For the unversed, it was in that particular match where Sachin managed his entire 241 runs without attempting a single cover-drive.   

“And I suggest – he gets in line with the ball a bit more and looks to play down the ground a little bit more. I know he’s a magnificent cover driver, but so was Sachin Tendulkar, and he put it away for a day [Sydney’s 241*]. I sat in the gully licking my lips, thinking, you know what, this is magnificent, stubborn batting. I didn’t look like getting a catch that day, and yet I felt like I was in the game that entire series.

“So, Sachin put away the cover-drive, worked his way into the innings, hit off his legs beautifully, took on the spin, and addressed the areas of concern. He put a big cross through them and said, ‘not on my watch today’. Virat Kohli has got that personality, and I’m sure we’ll see it in Melbourne,” added Hayden.

Coming to the series, India won the opener by a comfortable 295-run margin. Kohli had finally found his form during the second innings of this Test in Perth, stroking his way to a classical 100*.