WTC Final: Michael Hussey backs Virat Kohli to come good with bat, expects Rohit to dictate terms early on
Kohli, Rohit with bat will decide India's fate in WTC Final: Hussey
Former Aussie batter Michael Hussey feels that for India to dominate in the World Test Championship Final, the veteran pair of Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma must click with the bat. Hussey said considering the match is being played in the UK (at the Oval in London), starting on June 7th, the conditions will be a lot different than that in India – where Australia lost the Border-Gavaskar series for the third straight time in March early this year.
Speaking to ICC ahead of the mouth-watering clash for the coveted WTC trophy, Hussey shared his views on how India could take down the star-studded Aussie attack in the conditions that ought to favour seamers than spinners.
Having played alongside the two match winners, Kohli and Rohit, Hussey knows what they can do on a big day.
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"It’s hard to see past Virat Kohli," Michael Hussey told the ICC. "He (Kohli) is obviously coming back into some great form again in all forms of the game really, so both he and Rohit Sharma with the bat are going to be important for India."
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While the Australian team also have their arsenal ready for the all-important Test, Hussey feels it's Australia's bowling that will trouble the Indians. With skipper Pat Cummins, legendary Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon sure to start, the Oz will have a handy line-up, to begin with.
Having said that, Mr Cricket – as fans used to call Hussey during his playing days, added India also has equally good bowlers in Mohammed Shami and Siraj and the ever-reliable spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin, and for Australia to stay on top of them by the end of the Test, they need to be at their best.
"It is going to be played in England, so English conditions will be different to the recent series in India, so I think the fast bowlers are going to be important," Hussey said. "Pat Cummins (is key for Australia) and Josh Hazlewood might be fit again, which would be nice for Australia.
"But India have got so many great bowlers as well. You’ve got (Mohammed) Siraj and (Mohammed) Shami and obviously the spinners with (Ravindra) Jadeja and (Ravichandran) Ashwin as well. It’s a world-class attack, and the Aussies are going to have to be at their best to beat them," Hussey added.
A fantastic match is sure to be at our disposal – Hussey
Hussey, who had been part of many memorable matches in his career, expects this heavyweight tie to deliver the expectations. The left-handed batter, now working as a batting coach with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, expects a fantastic match to be at everyone's disposal.
"I just want to see two great teams go head-to-head and see who comes out on top. We just want to see good, hard, fair cricket, and whoever comes out on top deserves to. And it should be a fantastic match," Hussey concluded.
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