AUS v IND 2018-19: Virat's tendency to detach himself from the game is worrying, says Mike Brearley

The former England skipper also talked about India's astounding fast bowling prowess in recent times.

Brearley was critical of Kohli's captaincy in the fifth Test against England at The Oval | Getty

Former England captain Mike Brearley has said that while Virat Kohli's aggressive nature is an asset for India at the highest level, the Indian skipper has a tendency to detach himself from the game when things don't quite go according to the plan and that is worrying.

"Virat wears his heart on his sleeve. There is a lot to be said for this passion, but of course, there are possible downsides. Each person has to do it in his own way," Brearley told Times of India, "I'd be more worried about him going a bit passive, almost detached or uninvolved, towards the end of the game, as he did at the Oval when England were on top."

The 76-year-old, who played in 39 Tests and 25 ODIs for the three lions, further talked about India's astounding fast bowling prowess these days while also lavishing praise over country's emergence as a force in the field.

"The Indian team is one of the best the country has had. The seam bowling is the best in-depth that it has ever had. Ashwin is a fine bowler. The fielding is probably better than ever too. It's an exciting time to be following cricket in India," he said about the no.1 ranked Test side in the world.

On modern-day English cricket, Brearley feels that it is quite prudent to have Eoin Morgan handling the responsibility in the limited overs game while Joe Root does the job at the Test level. But it is still better to have one person leading the arsenal with his methods, consistently for both.

He said, "If he is in good form as captain and as a player, and is good at all three formats, yes. The advantage is that he will feel all the teams are his team, as it were."

"The disadvantage is the risk of burn-out. For example, Root and Morgan seem to work out well enough together for ODIs and T20s, and Root is improving and doing well in Tests, so it can work well," Brearley signed off.

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 15 Dec, 2018

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