- Pat Cummins’ has been urged by Glenn McGrath to go in on one Indian star
- Australia and India are set to collide in Perth in the first Test next week
- It comes after India suffered a dismal 3-0 series defeat by New Zealand
Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath has pinpointed where he thinks Pat Cummins’ side should target India ahead of the commencement of the Border-Gavaskar Test Series.
Australia and India are set to collide in Perth next week for the opening Test of the series, with the visitors coming into the opening match off the back of a 3-0 series defeat by New Zealand.
Virat Kohli has been in the spotlight lately for his indifferent form over the past few months, with the former India captain having struggled to score runs against the Black Caps.
Kohli managed just 93 runs during the entirety of the series, despite hitting a 70 in the first Test – his top score.
McGrath was confident of Australia’s chances, claiming that if he was still playing, he’d predict a 5-0 whitewash ‘without a doubt’.
And he believed Australia should deploy mind games to target Kohli who he claimed, could be feeling the pressure of a recent purple patch in form.
Glenn McGrath has pinpointed where Australia can target India ahead of the Border-Gavaskar series
India come into next week’s first Test in Perth after having been beaten 3-0 by New Zealand
McGrath has urged Australia to target former India captain Virat Kohli after his recent poor form
‘You look at that series against New Zealand recently, where the three Tests he only made 90 odd runs, his top score was 70. So it was a pretty lean series,’ McGrath said to The Daily Telegraph during a promotional campaign for Great Northern’s Long Way for a Beer campaign.
‘He’d be under pressure a little bit. He’s probably feeling it as well.
‘So if Australia can start well and bowl well to knock him over the first Test match, that could sort of set up the whole series for us. So I think that’s the first Test is pretty important.’
The former New South Wales bowler, who took 563 wickets during his Test career, added that Kohli could hit back with runs if he ‘gets in the fight’.
‘If they go hard at him, if he gets in the fight with emotions, there’s a bit of chat out there, who knows he might sort of lift,’ McGrath added.
‘But I think he’s probably under pressure a little bit, and if he has a couple of low scores to start with, he could really feel it.
‘I think he’s quite an emotional player. When he’s up, he’s up, and when he’s down, he sort of struggles a little bit.’
It’s been an indifferent year for Kohli who has 250 runs to show from 12 Test innings in 2024.
Kohli scored jsut 93 runs during the New Zealand series and questions have revolved around his recent form
McGrath urged Pat Cummins’ (pictured) side to go at Kohli in the first Test match claiming that if they knock him over it could set up the rest of the series
He added that if he was still playing he’d use India’s series defeat by New Zealand as ‘ammunition’ to gain an advantage
McGrath added that if he was still playing, he’d use India’s 3-0 defeat by New Zealand as ‘ammunition’ to gain an advantage.
‘Without a doubt, especially after coming off a 3-0 loss against New Zealand, you’ve got plenty of ammunition to back yourself up,’ he said.
‘So put the pressure on them and see if they’re up for it.’
But for former Aussie cricket coach Justin Langer, there is one thing you shouldn’t do when it comes to Kohli.
‘One thing you never do is write off champions, and that’s in every sport because they are a champion for a reason,’ Langer said to The West Australian.
‘In India, there are one and a half billion cricket-loving people, and then count the rest around the world.
‘They expect nothing but excellence and the team will be under intense pressure so how they fight back will be important.’
