The Indian cricket team has arrived in Kanpur to undergo preparations for the second test against Bangladesh which gears off on Friday. India has already clinched the first test with a lot of comfort and should they achieve this again in the last match of the series, the team captained by Rohit Sharma will be in a very good place to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship. Nevertheless, Virat Kohli flopped during the first test. He managed a paltry six runs in the first innings before he was bowled out by Hasan Mahmud while in the second battled timidly for a 17 runs only to be sent packing by Mehidy hasan Miraz.
On Wednesday, the unfancied Jamshed Alam, a left-arm bowler, able to dismiss him twice in four overs, caused confusion in the nets. The bowler from Lucknow deceived him with some out swinging.
“I bowled 24 balls to Virat Kohli. My speed was about 135 kmph and I got him out twice. The practice pitch was assisting fast bowlers although it is a known fact that Kanpur pitch is spinner friendly. ‘Well bowled bhai, kitne saal ke ho?’ (How many years have you been alive?) I asked him. He said 22, I told him mehnat karte raho (keep working hard). After getting under his skin, I am on cloud nine,” said Alam to NDTV.
Basit Ali, a former player from Pakistan, has made a bold gesture towards Virat Kohli as he anticipates the batsman’s revival during the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy scheduled to take place against Australia on November 22.
“Koi khushi khushi sab dekhte rahe Bangladesh aur New Zealand wale match mein, Virat shuru hoga australia se (Everybody is happy seeing him perform in the match against Bangladesh and New Zealand, but the real performance of Virat will start when he plays against Australia). The wickets in Australia will suit him perfectly. Big players tend to take things for granted when playing teams that are weak, but the vice-versa holds true of them when playing teams that are much stronger,” Ali added in his YouTube video.
“People tell India it’s in those four walls given the advantage of home conditions they always win, but they have won two series down under in Australia too. This time also in the later part of this year, India will not let Australia win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
