Chappell Urges Kohli, Rohit to Reignite Youthful Mindset for Australia Series
Legendary Australia cricketer Greg Chappell believes that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the crucial players for the upcoming Test series in Australia. The duo has been advised to reignite their youthful mindset.
The advice comes after India lost the series to New Zealand by 3-0 and got whitewashed at their home. The Australia’s five match Test series will start from November 22.
Both Virat and Rohit are going through a difficult time, and the series against Australia could play a big impact on their future careers. Former India coach and legendary Australia cricketer believes that the pair must learn from their past in order to improve the present. To put it another way, they should take inspiration from their youth, when the focus was entirely on scoring runs rather than conditions.
Chappell mentioned about a 2005 conversion with Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster wanted to know why batting becomes harder with age.
“I explained to him that the mental demands of batting intensify with age. Batting gets harder because you realize how hard it is to make runs at this level and how difficult it is to maintain the mental focus that is required to be successful. It is not the eyesight or the reflexes that drop off. It is the intense focus that is required that becomes harder to sustain. When one is younger, the mind is focused on making runs.”
Talking about Kohli he said,
“For Kohli, the task is one of rejuvenation. Known for his unmatched intensity, passion and high standards, Kohli recent travails will have annoyed him. The aggressive mindset that propelled him to greatness must now coexist with patience and focus. He enters this series hungry to reiterate his authority as India’s most formidable batsman if his generation.”
Chappell stated about the challenges Rohit will need to tackle with the captaincy responsibilities along with scoring runs for the team. For him the challenge lies in balancing his aggressive instincts. He said,
“As this heavyweight clash approaches, each player will search for the mental state that fuelled their peak performances. For Sharma, the challenge lies in balancing his aggressive instincts with the calculated caution that Test cricket demands. As a captain, he must maintain his own form while shouldering the pressure of leadership - a delicate balance he’ll need to master if India is to thrive.”
The Indian skipper and star player faced criticism after the team lost the series by 3-0 to New Zealand, first at home since 2012.