Kohli will be eager to perform in WTC Final: VVS Laxman

India have edge over New Zealand as they have got depth in all three departments.

Hyderabad: Virat Kohli may have had a poor run with the willow in recent times. But former Test star VVS Laxman believes that the Indian captain will be excited and eager to perform in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand that will begin at Southampton from Friday.

“Yes, he hasn’t scored a 100 for some time now and also has not won an ICC Trophy as captain. This being an inaugural championship, it will be a big opportunity for him to win the final. To win any tournament or beat a good side like New Zealand, you have to focus on the process and instead of thinking about the end results,” said Laxman while talking to Telangana Today.

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Having not played in an ODI World Cup in his playing days, Laxman said this WTC has  given a platform for Test players to play in a World Cup. “I played in 100-odd Tests and I could not play in the World Cup. Hopefully, ICC will continue to hold Test matches though they can be tweaked in here and there with points system and consistency in playing the same number of matches. This WTC will add excitement to the players and to the longer format of the game.”

Though New Zealand have the advantage of playing two Tests in England and winning the series, Laxman felt India to be favourites as this Virat Kohli-side is mentally strong. “Batting well in the first innings will be the key. India deserve to be in the final as they dominated the Test matches in the last two years. India beat a few top teams, both at home and abroad. The mental toughness has made the Indian team a dominant force in world cricket.”

Laxman expects openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill to give a good start. “If you are to do well overseas, it is very crucial to post a big first innings total. The openers need to play sensible cricket as they will have to bat at the toughest phase of batting. Rohit has a key role along with Shubman and No.3 batsman (Cheteshwar Pujara). The onus is on the three batsmen.”

The star batsman felt Pujara should stick to his own style of batting. “Pujara has performed exceedingly well in international cricket using his own tested formula. It is not wise, particularly in a final, to be little aggressive or change his approach.”

He stated that to succeed in England, the batsman has to know where his off-stump is because the ball swings late and it does throughout the day because of the weather conditions. “It is important to know which ball to play or which ball to leave. The batsman has to look for a full ball and he has to have a long front foot stride because the wickets can sometimes be slow as the ball cannot come quickly to the bat. This allows you to go close to the ball and play with soft hands. The batsman could be in trouble if he plays with short strides or plays hard at the ball. Long strides will be critical in England.”

Given his recent exploits with the bat and the gloves, Laxman said Pant could be the X-factor.

“He has been remarkable since the second innings of the Sydney Test in Australia. He is not only consistent with the bat but improved a lot with gloves. But Pant batting in the middle order can demoralise the bowlers as he has got the ability to play fearless cricket.”

Laxman advised that India should go with five bowlers, including (Ravinder) Jadeja.

“(Ravichandran) Ashwin will be the first-choice spinner. There will be three pace bowlers in Ishant Sharma (with his experience and the way he has contributed to Indian cricket) Mohd Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. I would go with Jadeja as he is excellent with the ball, a livewire on the field and contributed consistently with the bat. His presence will add depth to the bowling and batting department. You will have two left-handers at 6 and 7.”

He pointed out that in England conditions the seamers have to bowl full length. “I am sure Bharat Arun will stress on this aspect. Irrespective of conditions, the Indian bowlers have dominated the cycle of world championship. There is a lot of experience and depth in this bowling attack.”