Glenn McGrath wants Australia to go hard at Virat Kohli
Former Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath has proposed a strategy for the upcoming five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting in Perth on November 22. He feels that Australia's best bet would be to target India's main man Virat Kohli. McGrath spoke about it on Fox Cricket and said, "If they go hard at him, if he gets in the fight with emotions, there's a bit of chat out there, who knows he might sort of lift."
McGrath highlights Kohli's recent performance dip
McGrath also highlighted Kohli's recent dip in form. McGrath said, "But I think he's probably under pressure a little bit, and if he has a couple of low scores to start with, he could really feel it." Despite boasting an average of 54.08 in Tests on Australian soil, Kohli's overall form has declined since 2020 with an average of just 31.68, as per ESPNcricinfo. Since his Test return in September versus Bangladesh, Kohli has struggled with one half-century.
McGrath urges Australia to capitalize on India's pressure
McGrath also urged the Australian team to capitalize on the pressure India might be facing after their recent 0-3 home series loss against New Zealand. He believes this situation provides ample ammunition for Australia to back themselves up and apply pressure on the Indian side. Despite a change in approach under Pat Cummins's leadership, McGrath feels Australia could gain a competitive edge by focusing on Kohli, who is currently one of India's most experienced players.
Kohli's numbers have taken a hit
As per ESPNcricinfo, since 2021, Kohli has amassed 1,722 runs from 31 matches at just 33.11 (50s: 8, 100s: 2). Across 38 innings versus the spinners during this phase, he has been dismissed 27 times. He owns 793 runs at 29.37. He has also been dismissed 25 times by pacers at an average of 37.16. In six matches this year, Kohli has piled up a sorry 250 runs from 12 innings at 22.72 (50s: 1).
