Even before India travelled to Australia for the ongoing series, a major news came from the Indian camp. Skipper Virat Kohli was granted paternity leave and will be returning home after the first Test which is scheduled to begin from December 17th in Adelaide. As cricket pundits continue to discuss whether India can beat Australia in the longest format in Kohli’s absence, many believe it will certainly be a hard challenge.
While former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes that no one can fill Kohli’s boots, he also said that in case India manage to beat the Aussies in their own backyard in Kohli’s absence, it would be a reason to celebrate.
“There are probably two sides to Virat, one is the captaincy part and the other is the batting part. Who is going to bat in place of Virat. KL Rahul is very talented, there is no doubt about it. I think he is experienced, playing in these conditions before. He can do it,” Clarke said on the latest episode of Inspiration on India Today TV.
“But Virat Kohli’s boots can never be filled by anybody. I love Jinx (Rahane). He is a great player. His captaincy is pretty good.
“Tactically, he is a very good captain and it’s going to be good for India. You have got to see it as an opportunity. You have got to try and create history,” Clarke added.
“If India can beat Australia at Australia’s own backyard without Virat Kohli, you can celebrate for a year. That will be an unbelievable win,” he further said.
“I think that’s the way Indian players have to look at it. They have to believe they are good enough to take on and beat this Australian team,” he signed off.
India, meanwhile, have already lost the three-match ODI series against Australia after the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series on Sunday following a 51-run win.
Source: Hindustan Times
