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Ex-India star batter Suresh Raina has expressed his support for Virat Kohli ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Raina believes that it is unjust to judge Kohli's form based solely on his recent performance in the home series against New Zealand, where he faced a lot of flak. India's recent 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand, in which Kohli scored a mere 93 runs in six innings, has undoubtedly put pressure on him. As he prepares for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025, he will be eager to silence his critics and regain his former glory.
Suresh Raina comes to Virat Kohli's rescue ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Suresh Raina has acknowledged New Zealand's impressive performance in their recent series against India, attributing their whitewash victory to their strong spin bowling and overall gameplay. He clearly said that it is unfair to evaluate Virat Kohli's form based on a single series.
"We need to give credit to New Zealand (for the whitewash). They played really well...Their cricketing ethics are very strong, in every sport. They played better than us, had good spinners...but we couldn't score much. Virat is doing really well, I think. We can't judge him from one series," Raina said in an interview with the Times of India.
Virat Kohli has arrived in Australia early to acclimatize himself for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While other team members like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were seen practicing on Tuesday, November 12th, Kohli opted to skip the optional training session. He is anticipated to begin his training regimen on Wednesday, November 13th.
The most important role will be of Virat Kohli: Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina highlighted Virat Kohli's crucial role in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He reminisced about Kohli's exceptional performance during the 2014-15 tour of Australia, where he scored four centuries, including a double-century in the Adelaide Test. Raina noted that Kohli exuded confidence during that tour, despite his recent struggles with form.
"The most important role will be of Virat Kohli. I remember when we went there in 2014-15, Virat made four hundreds. And at that time, all top cricketers were playing. I remember he made hundreds in both the innings of the Adelaide Test. I didn't play that game but was sitting outside and saw his ruthless approach. He was so strong with his body language," Raina further stated.
Virat Kohli boasts an impressive Test record against Australia, amassing 2,042 runs in 25 matches at an average of 47.48, including eight centuries and five half-centuries. His performance in Australia is even more remarkable, with 1,352 runs in 25 innings at an average of 54.08. His stellar 2014-15 tour, where he scored 692 runs at an average of 86.50, remains a testament to his prowess in Australian conditions.
The first Test of the five-match series is set to commence at Perth Stadium on November 22nd. Both teams will be eager to start the series on a winning note.
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