Former England spinner Graeme Swann shared an unheard tale about England's 2012 tour of India when Virat Kohli reacted angrily after pacer Steven Finn tried to get under his skin.
England last won a Test series in India in 2012 with a 2-1 margin in the four-match series. England bounced back in style after losing the first match and won the next two matches to win the historic series, as the next match ended in a draw.
In the fourth and final Test, Kohli and then-Indian skipper MS Dhoni scored 103 and 99 runs, respectively. Meanwhile, Swann revealed that the England players were warned against engaging in arguments with Kohli.
He particularly highlighted an incident where Kohli, in a ruthless display of skill, scored runs off Finn following a heated exchange between the two.
Graeme Swann during a Sky Sports Cricket Podcast: “We had been told beforehand to not say anything to this bloke (Virat Kohli). Steven Finn got driven for a couple of incredible fours and he lost the plot and had a got at him and realised his mistake straight away. Virat roared up like a tiger and Finn just doubled down and got smashed everywhere.”
Speaking about his fellow spinner Monty Panesar and his own performance on the tour, Swann noted: “The secret to Test cricket is to treat it as if you are the best player in the world and everyone else has to dance to your tune. I look back on that Test and I bowled fairly well but I didn't feel like I was doing anything special. I was just supporting Monty on the other end because he was bowling 65mph, pitching middle and leg, fizzing past the outside edge and he was incredible in that game.”
He signed off by saying, “I always liked playing with Monty, he had this childlike innocence about him and his love for cricket which was just amazing. I would always say to him I wish I could bowl like you, look at the shape you get on the ball, look at how consistent you are and he would just grin like a kid at Christmas.”
(With NDTV Inputs)
