'He is nowhere near him': Former Pakistan player makes bold claim regarding Virat Kohli and Babar Azam
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam
Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria believes national team captain Babar Azam is nowhere near India's prolific run-scorer Virat Kohli after the former Indian skipper played a thrilling innings to secure a win against Australia in the opening World Cup encounter.
Admitting that the chase was difficult after India lost three quick wickets, Kaneria on his YouTube channel referred to Kohli as a 'maestro'.
"Virat Kohli is a maestro. There is no bigger player than him. People compare Babar Azam to Virat Kohli, but Babar Azam is nowhere near him. The way he guided India to a victory against Australia was not easy," said Kaneria.
"Yes, he did get a chance, but dropped catches are part and parcel of the game. Losing and impossible are two words that don't apply to Virat Kohli."
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Kaneria also mentioned India's wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav after he managed to keep the Australian batters quiet with his variations.
"The Indian selectors should be appreciated for going with Kuldeep Yadav over Yuzvendra Chahal. Kuldeep is bowling far better than Chahal at the moment. This Indian spin trio is a very dangerous combination. Every team will find it difficult to negate them because there is variety in that spin attack."
India beat Australia by 6 wickets
India won the match against Australia after braving initial setbacks, as Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer departed without troubling the scorers. Chasing a modest total of 200, India were forced to rely once again on Kohli to bail the team out.
In at no.3, Kohli joined forces with Rahul and the duo stitched a 167-run match-winning partnership. While Rahul remained unbeaten on 97, Kohli departed after playing a classy 85-run knock but not before the team had reached the cusp of victory.
Having started the tournament with a win, India will now focus their attention towards Afghanistan who they face at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. With the first match on the Delhi pitch producing over 450 runs in one inning, cricket pundits believe another run-fest will be in the offing as two subcontinent teams lock horns.
(With inputs from agencies)
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