Virat Kohli a 'proponent of all-out aggression': Greg Chappell

SYDNEY : Team India skipper Virat Kohli doesn't believe in passive resistance and wants to dominate the opposition, says former Australia skipper Greg Chappell.

In a column for The Sydney Morning Herald, Chappell says that Kohli is the most "Australian non-Australian cricketer" of all time.

"ViratKohli does not believe in passive resistance. He is a proponent of all-out aggression. His idea is to dominate the opposition," writes Chappell.

"He embodies the new India. As the premier player and captain of the world's pre-eminent cricket power, he feels an abiding responsibility to the wider game," he adds.

Chappell, who served as the head coach of the Indian team from 2005 to 2007, further says that the talismanic Indian batsman has a broad perspective on the game. "He (Kohli) is aware of his personal record, but that is not his focus. Winning games for India is way more important to him and he sees it as his prime objective."

Often termed as being over-aggressive, Kohli drew rich praise from the entire cricket fraternity when he urged fans from booing Australia's Steve Smith during the World Cup in England and Wales last year. For his gesture, Kohli won the 'Spirit of Cricket' award in 2019 and is also in contention for the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade.

"On the broader front, he is aware of his status in the game and how he can impact others. His response to the Indian supporters who booed Steve Smith at The Oval during the 2019 World Cup was illuminating and heartening," writes Chappell.

"As Smith walked on to the field, the Indian supporters booed him for his part in the ball-tampering affair. Kohli immediately reacted by indicating to the crowd that they should instead be applauding Smith as a champion. He believed that Smith had paid for his mistake and he didn't want his team to accrue an unfair advantage. It was a significant and admirable display of sportsmanship.

"The brash youngster had morphed into a senior statesman," he adds.

The former Australian skipper also praises Kohli for his batting technique saying the Indian captain is a "feel" player.

"Heavy bats are not for him, he tells me. He relies on timing and precision more than muscle. His double-handed style is both powerful and freakish," writes the 72-year-old.

"Kohli's superpower is his imagination. He visualises how he can make runs, no matter the conditions or the situation of the game, and he spends considerable time preparing to do so," he adds.

Talking about the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, Chappell says the four-match Test series is a "bout between heavyweights".

"Arguably, the best two teams in world cricket will battle it out at near full strength. India won last time on Australian soil, but the asterisk was that Smith and David Warner were absent," says Chappell.

"Kohli is an intensely driven man. He will want his team to reiterate their supremacy, and I expect something exceptional from him before he goes," he adds.

The Indian skipper will, however, take part only in the first Test to be played with a pink ball at the Adelaide Oval and will then return to India to be with his wife who is expecting their first child. IANS

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