Australia veterans praise Virat Kohli, label him as 'one of the most influential players'

Wary of Virat Kohli ahead of the two-month-long tour, former Australia captain Mark Taylor has remarked that the Team India skipper is a 'very powerful guy' in world cricket, adding that he can perform as an aggressive cricketer and statesman as well. Heaping praise on Kohli, Taylor added that the Indian skipper has strong views and is never shy of expressing himself. Echoing similar views, former India head coach Greg Chappel also hailed Kohli's fondness of Test cricket. Virat Kohli is set to lead in Team India in the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia and the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy before returning home for the birth of his first child. 

"I think he is a very powerful guy in world cricket, but I think he does a very good job to walk that fine line in being an aggressive cricketer and also a statesman. I think he's doing it very well. I think he treats that responsibility with great respect. He's still very much his own person when you watch him play," PTI quoted former Australia skipper Mark Taylor. 

Highlighting Kohli's love for Test cricket, Greg Chappel said, "I think he's certainly one of the best players and one of the most influential players in world cricket at the moment. He loves Test cricket and while he's playing India will treat Test cricket with respect because he has a big say in Indian cricket. That's a good thing." 

"If you have a captain of India who is not interested in Test cricket that will impact the scene. Virat loves Test cricket, he champions Test cricket, and while that's happening India will play Test cricket," Chappel added.

Meanwhile, former Australia Head Coach Daren Lehmann reckons that the Indian skipper will be pumped up for the only Test that he will be playing at Adelaide. "He always pushes the boundaries, but that's what great players do. He wants to win every game. That was one of the more fiery ones [2017 series] going around in recent years," Lehmann said.

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'Pucovski should open'

Backing young gun Will Pucovski to open the innings along with David Warner, former Australia skipper Mark Taylor believes that Joe Burns should be snubbed. Urging the selectors to allow Pucovski to open the innings, Taylor opined that Burns averages 38 in Test cricket and the young gun is in great form so he should be picked. Taylor also praised the youngster for taking a six-week break from cricket to deal with mental health issues during the 2018-19 home summer.

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Australia 'love to hate' Kohli

With the India-Australia series nearing closer, the heat between the two squads is already visible as Tim Paine has already shrugged off Men in Blue captain Virat Kohli as 'just another player'. The Australian Test skipper has remarked that he does not have a relationship with Kohli but they 'love to hate' him. “I get asked a log of questions about Virat Kohli, he’s just another player to me it doesn’t really bother me. There’s not really a relationship there with him to be fair, I see him at the toss and play against him and that’s about it,” Paine told ABC Sport.

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India tour of Australia 

India will kick off their tour to Australia with a three-match ODI series starting on Friday, 27 November, followed by as many T20Is and four Tests. The T20Is will be played in Canberra (4 December) and Sydney (6, 8 December). 

The first Test will be a day/night affair, from 17-21 December at the Adelaide Oval. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (26-30 December) will host the Boxing Day Test, before the action moves to the Sydney Cricket Ground (7-11 January) and the Gabba (15-19 January). With India currently on top of the World Test Championship table and Australia in second, the series is expected to be a thriller, as it will also be a part of the ICC World Test Championship. 

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