'Virat Kohli has got big ego...': England star warns India's batting maestro ahead of IND vs ENG Test series

Abhijeet Kumar Singh

UPDATED:Jan 19, 2024 21:01 IST

India's run-machine Virat Kohli in this frame. (Getty)

Highlights:

Virat Kohli is gearing up for the five-match Test series against England.

England's Ollie Robinson said that Virat Kohli has a 'big ego'.

England's pacer Ollie Robinson has expressed his willingness to dismiss batsman Virat Kohli ahead of the upcoming five-match Test series against India, noting his eagerness to challenge the Indian star, who aims to dominate on home turf. Robinson will be joining the England squad traveling to India for the Test series, where he is expected to play a key role. In the absence of Stuart Broad, Robinson's contributions alongside veteran James Anderson, will be crucial for England's bowling attack.

Ollie Robinson vs Virat Kohli

A fierce contest to look forward to in the series is the face-off between Ollie Robinson and Virat Kohli. Their last encounter during the India-England Test series was marked by verbal exchanges and intense competition. In the 2021 Test series in England, which ended in a draw, Robinson had a notable advantage over Kohli, having dismissed him three times. The fast bowler had an impressive performance in the series, taking 21 wickets at an average of 21.33 across the first four matches, and posed significant challenges to the Indian batting lineup.

In anticipation of the upcoming tour in India, Ollie Robinson acknowledged the significant challenge it poses for him and expressed his desire to demonstrate adaptability. He aims to utilize his deep understanding and enthusiasm for cricket throughout the series. In his conversation with ESPNCricinfo, Robinson shared these thoughts.

“You feel like you don’t know what you’re preparing for, which is a challenge I’ve not really had yet. On this tour, it’ll be about being adaptable; look at the pitch a day or two before and assess how it’ll play, or try to get clues from the nets on the square. It’ll be a different challenge but one that I’m looking forward to because it’ll engage my cricket-nuffy brain,” Robinson said.

Ollie Robinson expanded on his approach to bowling, stating that he is working towards achieving a seam position as precise as Mohammed Shami's. He also disclosed that his time playing county cricket with Sussex allowed him to gain valuable insights from Ishant Sharma. He went on to explain further:

“I’ve actually been practising Mohammed Shami’s dead-straight seam. He’s one of the best bowlers for India. I was looking at Ishant [Sharma] as well – he played at Sussex for a bit and he’s done really well in India for quite a while. He’s tall, similar to me,” he added.

Ollie Robinson also discussed his on-field encounter with Virat Kohli during the 2021 series. He mentioned that Kohli had some words for him when he came out to bat. He recounted the incident, saying:

“I actually saw the video of me walking out to bat at Lord’s a couple of days ago. I think [Mohammed] Siraj bowled the ball that hit length and hit me in the chest. And in the video, all the Indian players surround me and Kohli is saying… well, I can’t remember what he said,” the 30-year-old stated.

Ollie Robinson also said that Virat Kohli has a big ego, making the prospect of competing against him thrilling. He also holds the belief that a successful tour in India could solidify his position in the England team. Adding to his thoughts, he Robinson said,"You always want to play against the best players, don’t you? And you always want to get the best players out. Kohli is one of those. He’s got a big ego and I think playing on that, especially in India, where he is going to want to dominate and score runs, playing on the fact we’ve had battles in the past, is exciting. If I can have a big tour in India, then it should set me up for a while. If I do well, I can cement myself back in the team.”

Notably, the first match of the five-match Test series between India and England will be played from January 25 in Hyderabad.

India's squad first two Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan