India skipper Virat Kohli
There are a few chinks in Virat Kohli's armoury that need to be repaired but the Indian skipper knows what he 'needs to do', reckons former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja ahead of the much-awaited World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand.
Kohli may have not scored a single century since 2019, but one can't argue over his batting prowess and leadership skills. The 32-year-old will be hoping to end his century drought in the all-important clash against the Kiwis, scheduled to start from June 18th in Southampton.
"What I have seen in his batting off late, he has been playing cross the line towards the leg side, breaking his wrist. If he maintains his position and plays straight and then plays his flicks, then it won’t be a problem anymore. However, he knows what he needs to do. So, there is nothing to worry about it," Raja said on India News Sports.
"Sometimes you think much and put yourself under pressure of not getting runs or centuries. As long as he plays the first 20-25 over straight and doesn’t break his wrist very much, he can succeed in this [WTC Final] Test match," he added.
The Indian contingent is currently serving a quarantine period upon its arrival at the Ageas Bowl. The WTC final will be followed by a one-and-a-half month-long break before Kohli's men take on hosts England in a five-Test series from August 4th.
Raja also called for a separate window for the World Test Championship, saying that a six-month exclusive window for Test cricket could've helped in boosting the format.
"I think the World Test Championship should have been conducted in a completely different window. A six-month window during which teams could have played against each other. Other formats should not have been conducted in this window, because if you are keen to uplift the Test cricket, this type of window has to be created.
"The span of two years is quite long and people might forget who played against whom. The tournament has become interesting just because India is in the final. Had it been some other team playing New Zealand, there wouldn’t have been that much interest," said Raja.
