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If one thing Virat Kohli has established in his illustrious career, besides being a run-machine and a modern-era legend, is that he thrives better in tough and hostile situations, especially when oppositions tend to get under his skin. That is what made him the champion that he is, thus making him a standout from the rest of the top players around. Ask the Aussies, who have learned it the hard way. No matter what the pre-series analysis and prediction might be from veteran cricketers across the globe before a contest against India, they have always warned against poking the bear. But a former England spinner, who stared in that famous 2012/13 series against India in India, has advised Ben Stokes and Co. to risk it all and sledge Kohli during the upcoming five-match Test series that begins next week in Hyderabad.
Come Thursday, India will be up against England in the opening match of the contest at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Kohli, who was part of the recently concluded T20I series against Afghanistan at home, has already reached the city to begin his preparations.
The numbers certainly reflect that Kohli relishes the competition against England bowlers, having scored 1991 runs in 28 matches, the second-most he has managed against a single opponent. 1015 of those runs have come at home, the most he has scored against an opposition, at an average of 56.38 with three centuries. Kohli will certainly be the batter to watch out for and hence, Monty Panesar, had advised the visiting England side to engage in mind games to restrict the former India captain’s run-scoring.
Speaking to India.com ahead of the five-match series, Panesar, who was England’s second-highest wicket-taker (17 with two fi-fers) in that 2012/13 series they had won in India, told Stokes and his men to play with Kohli’s ego and go the extent of calling India as “chokers”, reminding him of their long-standing ICC trophy drought.
“Play with his ego and get psychologically stuck into him. They should also say things to him like, you guys are chokers when it comes to the final. They should sledge him on those lines because Stokes has won the ODI and T20 WC and Kohli has not and that is going to mentally pinch him,” Panesar said.
The former England spinner also predicted that Kohli will be undone by James Anderson yet again. The veteran England pacer had famously dismissed Kohli four times in the 2014 series, but the 35-year-old has been dismissed only twice hence across four series, the last being in 2021. Anderson is also yet to dismiss Kohli in India.
“I think it will be James Anderson and I think it will be the reverse-swing that would get Kohli,” Panesar added.
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