Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra believes that the time has come for the leaders Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson to walk the talk by leading their respective teams India and New Zealand from the front in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2021) final in Southampton.
He pointed out the batting averages of the two modern-day legends Kohli and Williamson in England is under 40 and that they have not set the “world on fire in England” with their batting efforts on English soil, and must score big runs in the WTC 2021 Final.
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Aakash Chopra told Star Sports: “You are obviously anxious as you are waiting for an event to start and you are talking about a world event, the final of the WTC. So you are slightly nervy, to begin with, but nerves do settle down after a period of time. But when you play this amount of cricket and that high pedigree, you know how to switch on and off.”
The commentator further said they have to prove their mettle on the English soil and lead their teams from the front in the WTC Final so that they can be remembered for their contributions.
He further added, “A few things to settle as well, when you look at Kane and Kohli, Kane is averaging just under 30 in England, Kohli is also averaging 36, it's not that they have set the world on fire on the English soil.
They have been there a few times there, both of them, it's time for the leaders to walk the a talk, lead by example and score the necessary runs because what we remember is the contributions of runs in the knockout stages. These are the things which stay with you forever.”
Meanwhile, the former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also said Kohli needs to score the “big hundred” in the WTC 2021 Final, for which the people are waiting for.
Pathan signed off by saying, “Virat Kohli needs to start this tour of England from here he left in 2018, 2014 was different. Keep doing what he is doing the best and take the responsibility but at the same time he is going with 5 bowlers, he needs to keep that in mind and Virat Kohli the batsman needs to come out and maybe score that big hundred we are waiting for.”
(With India Today Inputs)
