‘Have to take his wicket cheaply’: Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie is all praise for this Indian batsman

Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie was a tough proposition to handle for any opposition. In his playing days, he formed a lethal pace battery alongside the legendary Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. So he knows a thing or two when he sees phenomenal batsmen in front of him.

Speaking about Australia’s upcoming home series against India, Gillespie remarked that India skipper Virat Kohli holds the key for Australia. Impressed by Kohli’s technique and temperament, the former right-arm quick even said that Kohli doesn’t have any glaring weakness.

“The Australians do want to take Virat’s wicket cheaply. He doesn’t seem to be having any weaknesses in particular. So, the Aussie bowlers not only need to be really ruthless when it comes to their line and length, but they will also have to stay nice and patient, that is going to be really important,” Gillespie was quoted by The Telegraph.

Australia were handed a huge boost when it was announced that Kohli will be returning home after the first Test – having been granted paternity leave by the BCCI for the birth of his first child.

Gillespie, who played 79 Tests and 97 ODI’s in a decade-long career, lauded the ‘wonderful’ Kohli even more.

“We know what a wonderful player Virat is. Australians do want to watch him bat but not for too long. Because if he does bat for a long time, India will surely go on to get a huge score,” Gillespie said.

India is slated to play three ODI’s, three T20I’s and four Tests down under and would look to repeat their heroics from their last tour. The tour begins with the ODI series, commencing on November 27. The first Test is scheduled for Adelaide from December 17.

Recently, former Australian captain Michael Clarke had also emphasized Kohli’s importance – saying that even though the India skipper will be leaving after the first Test, he needs to set the tone in the limited overs series. If India don’t perform well in the ODI’s and T20I’s, then they will be ‘smoked’ 4-0 in the ensuing Test series, Clarke had remarked.

India had defeated Australia 2-1 in the Test series during their previous tour in 2018-19 but it must be noted that their star players Smith and David Warner, were not playing that series – serving an year-long ban for the infamous ball tampering incident.