The word to describe Virat is 'focus': Dav Whatmore

The list of admirers of Virat Kohli got another addition in Dav Whatmore. The name of Dav Whatmore is a popular one in the coaching books. The Sri Lankan born former Australian player has had the distinction of serving as a coach to many sides. He has coached the major national teams in Asia except India. He made a visit to Chennai recently to discuss the prospect of an academy there. He spoke to TOI during his visit. The key points that he focused on was the meteoric rise of Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli and spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.

Dav Whatmore started off by commending the Indian team for having reached the top of the rankings. He further cited the chief concerns on why the visitors struggle here. He rightly cited that playing spin in India is a different art. Also, he pointed the heat factor and the adaptability issues. He gave the example of England, who remain to be the only side to beat India at home in the recent times. England achieved this during their 2012-13 tour.

He remarked the performances of Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen held the key for India on that tour. They chose to be aggressive rather than getting in a shell. He quoted, “Playing spin in India is incredibly difficult. Understanding the ball’s behavior, the heat and with fielders all around you -it can be daunting. In recent times, the only team to beat India has been England during the 2012-13 Test series.”

When asked how to get better at playing in these conditions, Whatmore believed it would come with experience. He said the more practice people get in these conditions, the better they will be. He also gave the example of IPL that serves as a platform for this purpose. He also pointed out that it is not only the batsmen who struggle, even the bowlers face the heat. He lauded Ashwin for having bowled spectacularly in the recent series.

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“The only way you will get better (in these conditions) is by playing more and more here. Tournaments such as IPL have certainly helped players from outside the sub-continent to adapt to the conditions here. It’s not tough for the batsmen alone, even spinners must learn how to bowl on these tracks. Look at the way R Ashwin bowled. He was just phenomenal!” quoted Dav Whatmore.

Speaking further on Ashwin, he said the off spinner is an asset to the team. He believes that Ashwin will do well outside th subcontinent too. He added that Ashwin will be a genuine all-rounder that every team looks out for.

“Ashwin – to me – is an extremely valuable player and will invariably do well in conditions outside too. I felt he bowled brilliantly in Australia when they toured there in the 2014-15 season, and hasn’t looked back since. It’s not just about Ashwin’s bowling but his batting as well which has been a talking point. He is an asset to this Indian side,” said Whatmore.

Whatmore had the first impression of Virat Kohli in the ICC U19 World Cup in Malaysia 2008. He coached the Indian U19 team to championship. He summed up Kohli’s calibre in just one word – focus. He clearly gave the example of the way Virat Kohli dropped his weight and became a stronger player. He recalled that it was Kohli’s confidence that left him awestruck in Malaysia.

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“The word to describe Virat is ‘focus’. Look at the way he dropped his weight, worked on his fitness and became stronger – which is not an easy thing to do. The thing that struck me about that U-19 World Cup campaign (in Malaysia) was the confidence Virat had in himself and he always led by example,” quoted Whatmore.

He added that being aggressive has always been in his nature. His hunger to perform is now seen in his team mates too. “He has always remained aggressive and you can see that in his eyes. He is always hungry to perform and that’s rubbed off on his teammates as well,” he added.