Ahead of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final, New Zealand cricket legend Sir Richard Hadlee heaped praise on India captain Virat Kohli while reckoning that the WTC final will be a closely fought contest between the two sides in Southampton, England.
Hadlee, who is regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in the game, has also backed Kohli’s aggressive on-field approach since the dashing cricketer faces enormous pressure to win from millions of Indian fans and his on-field aggression helps the Indian cricket team in unsettling opposition.
He also said it is a delight to watch Kohli is on the field, as well as, credited the right-hander for ensuring Indian cricket remains competitive at the highest level and be one of the best teams in the world.
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Hadlee told ICC, “I quite like seeing any player expressing themself (sic) towards the opposition by having a real presence – it is a form of intimidation that can be unsettling, and a tactic used by many sportspeople. I see Virat as being a very passionate and competitive cricketer with a strong desire for himself and the team to succeed. He is a proud man and a world-class player – a delight to watch.”
He further added, “The pressure and expectations on him to ''win'' is enormous. There are millions of Indian fans who idolize him which puts great pressure on him. Virat is responsible for ensuring that Indian cricket remains competitive and be one of the best teams in the world.”
However, Hadlee believes that the Indian fans need to understand that Kohli is bound to fail at times.
The 69-year-old added, “However, fans still need to understand that we are all human and champions will fail from time to time -- any cricketer can score a duck or get no wickets which is deemed to be a failure, but when a player succeeds, everyone is happy, except perhaps the opposition.”
Meanwhile, the New Zealand great also stressed that every sportsperson needs to find balance in his on-field behavior by saying “all sports at the highest level are about competing and it is finding a way to win a game and gain an advantage over one's opponent.”
He continued, “There will always be a fine line as to whether gamesmanship from a player or a team goes too far. I quite like seeing any player expressing himself towards the opposition by having a real presence - it's a form of intimidation that can be unsettling.”
On the WTC Final between India and New Zealand, Hadlee said: “The Test Championship is a one-off game. Yes, it's a final but I don't think either team will be too fazed about it. It's a neutral ground with no home advantage. It's something to look forward to.”
He signed off by saying, “Both teams deserve to be contesting in the final because of their consistency over a set period. It all comes down to who adapts better to the English conditions the quickest. Too difficult to call a winner at this stage.”
(With ANI Inputs)
