Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 15: Nathan Lyon, an Australian player, brought up a significant issue while facing Indian batsman Virat Kohli. The seasoned off-spinner admitted that playing against Kohli in a match is like playing against the whole country.
The Australian spinner compared it to a time when he had previously bowled to Sachin Tendulkar. While dismissing Tendulkar was a double-edged blade that could either make you a hero or a villain, bowling to Tendulkar was an honour.
“Coming up against someone like Virat Kohli, it feels like you’ve got the nation against you. If you’ve got a little bit of success and get Virat out or create a chance, you become the most hated cricketer in world cricket quite quickly. I’ve had a little bit of experience (on that front) bowling to Sachin Tendulkar a number of years ago now,” said Lyon.
“Virat is a superstar, probably been the best in the world for a long period of time now. Credit to him to perform at this high level constantly. It’s been a privilege to play against him. I also want to compete with the best in the world and Virat has probably provided that biggest challenge,” he added.
The ultimate goal for any bowler still remains getting rid of Virat Kohli. Some, like James Anderson, Moeen Ali, and Adam Zampa, have repeatedly attained this distinction in international cricket; others, not so much. Every side wants to get rid of Kohli as soon as possible, regardless of the type of form he is in. Additionally, the threat is now greater and it will be harder to dismiss Kohli for a modest score now that he is back in form.
In the past six months, Kohli has already struck a T20I century and three ODI hundreds. At this rate, it won’t be long before the former India captain finds his stroke again in Test matches.
Interestingly, in Test cricket, Lyon has a good record against Kohli. In Test cricket, the 35-year-old has already claimed the former Indian captain’s wicket seven times. Lyon went on to compliment Kohli for his unwavering resolve and his unparalleled competitiveness on the field as he continued to share his perspective on the legendary cricket player.
