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Ian Healy wants Australian pacers to Virat Kohli with ‘body bash’ in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India’s Test record in Australia. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Legendary Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy wants Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to target Virat Kohli in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, starting from November 22 at Perth. “Body bashing” as he explains it.
Healy wants the Australian pacers to attack Kohli with short-pitched deliveries to put him on the back foot and then test his forward defence with straight balls designed to trap him in front of the wickets.
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“The first matchup I’m looking at is how our quicks can bowl to Virat Kohli, and I think they should target his front pad quite often,” Healy was quoted sa saying to SEN Radio.
“He sits that front foot there and he can play from anywhere — he can play square on the off-side, he can whip onto the leg-side or he can rock back … but they’ve got to look for any sort of insecurity in his form and maybe target that front pad.”
“Don’t do it every ball because he’ll get used to it… it’s the impact ball that has to be on the front pad after he is set up with seam.”
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Healy also has another plan if his first doesn’t work. Attack him directly.
“If that’s (front-foot tactic) not working, body bash. Bowl at the back armpit, that’s the right arm as a right-handed batsman… and it’s got to be hot,” Healy said.
“Have him jumping at times if he wants to ride those deliveries — ducking, weaving or bending backwards. Get that short leg position right next to him on the leg side and if you need a bumper, it’s got to go at the badge. He might try to bust out of a hard spell with a hook shot or pull shot and that will be hard to control if it’s badge height”.
“So that’s the second tactic, body bashing,” he added.
Kohli does have a splendid record in Australia despite his recent lean patch with the bat.
