Glenn McGrath thinks it’s time Virat Kohli shows that he can score runs in England
"I think India started really well in England, obviously it is in the ODIs and T20s," McGrath said.
The world is watching with keen eyes as the No.1 ranked Indian team prepares to take the English Test in the five-match series starting August 1. At the inception, it appears to be a more character driven plot as the visiting captain Virat Kohli has all the highlight. While he is regarded as the best batter in the world he is yet to ace in England. Former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath also thinks it’s time Kohli shows that he can score runs in England.
It all goes back to 2014 when the Indian batting star had a forgettable tour and over it years it has been the only blot on his otherwise sensational record. He’s got runs in Australia, South Africa of course in the subcontinent but the world will acknowledge his brilliance and accept him as the best batsman only if he trumps against James Anderson & Co. in the upcoming Test series.
“For Virat, he has done everywhere else, but in England… He is a quality player without a doubt, a class act, has got all the shots. He is quite aggressive and not a timid player. It is time he shows that he can score runs in English conditions too,” McGrath said at an event in Chennai.
Improved Indian bowling
The 48-year-old who relished every opportunity to challenge the Indians mentioned that in the current setup they have a really strong batting unit. He also highlighted the improvement in their bowling – injuries to Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in his view is an opportunity for the others to show what they’ve got.
“I think India started really well in England, obviously it is in the ODIs and T20s. The batting line-up has always been their strength. Just heard about injuries to (Jasprit) Bumrah and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar). So it will be interesting to see their bowling line-up. In recent times they have been bowling really well. Injuries do happen, it is going to make it a little tougher. But their strength is their batting,” said McGrath.
The Anderson factor
As far as England is concerned, their bowling still revolves around the veteran James Anderson. With 540 Test wickets to his name he is the leading wicket-taker for the country and at 35 is still going strong. Anderson is coming back form an injury break but for India to do well in the series it is important that they tackle him really well.
“Anderson is going to be a big player. It is how the Indian batsmen face his swing and bowling in English conditions,” the Aussie further mentioned.
“If they can get on top of Anderson, that is going to make a big difference for them. I think for them he is definitely going to be the key,” he added.
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