WTC Final 2023 | 'Conditions At Oval Will Suit Him' - Greg Chappell On Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli celebrating a century [Source: Twitter]
Team India aims to break their decade-long ICC trophy dry spell as they gear up to face Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final, commencing on June 7th at the Oval. This marks India's second consecutive appearance in the WTC final, following their loss to New Zealand in the inaugural edition about two years ago.
A silver lining for India ahead of the much-awaited marquee event lies in the resurgent form of their former captain, Virat Kohli. Although there were concerns about his form not long ago, Kohli has made an astounding comeback, consistently scoring runs across formats and instilling a renewed sense of confidence in the entire team India.
The Delhi batter displayed brilliant form in the recently concluded Indian Premier League 2023, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He amassed 639 runs in 14 matches at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of around 140. Alongside Faf du Plessis, he served as the backbone of RCB.
The star batter will look to capitalize on his impressive run of form as he dons the white jersey for India on the momentous occasion. However, he faces an uphill battle against a lethal bowling trio comprising Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and captain Pat Cummins.
However, days ahead of the WTC final, the former India head coach Greg Chappell opened up on Kohli's form, emphasizing that the conditions at The Oval could potentially favor the batter.
Here's what Chappell said on the show 'Backstage with Boria Majumdar':
"Virat Kohli was asked a lot of questions in England in 2014 and 2021 by Anderson, Broad and the rest of the English bowlers. They bowled some excellent lines and lengths to him in conditions that suited them. They knew he was the best and lifted themselves up when bowling to him."
Furthermore, Chappell raised doubts about whether the Australian bowlers can replicate the threat posed by the English bowlers to Virat Kohli in the past, as he believes that no one understands the English conditions better than the home team's own bowlers.
"To think or say that the Australians will be able to do the same from ball one is not correct. The English know their own conditions better than anyone else in the world."
Kohli's track record in England has been a mix of highs and lows. While he struggled against England’s James Anderson in 2014, he bounced back stronger in his next visit to the country four years later, amassing nearly 700 runs in the five-Test series.
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