NZ's multi-dimensional attack can trouble Kohli: Parthiv

Source From: IANS 2021-06-14 20:15:12

India skipper Virat Kohli needs to revisit 2018 to get back into the habit of scoring hundreds though it won't be easy against New Zealand's bowling attack which possesses variety, said former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel. India play New Zealand in the World Test Championship final that begins on Friday.

"I think probably he will have to give himself a bit of time and try to think what he did in 2018 -- where he got number of hundreds. Probably he is better equipped than what he was in 2014 [when he scored 134 across 10 innings in England]. But there will be challenges and there will be challenges of variety of fast bowlers. Reason being -- it (New Zealand's) is not a one-dimensional fast bowling attack," said Patel on Star Sports. His debut year, 2008, when he was picked to the national side after leading India under-19 team to a World Cup title, was the last time before 2020 that he endured a calendar year without a century.



In 2020, he played 22 international games which, compared to the recent few years, is quite low since Covid-19 ensured India did not play international cricket for almost nine months. This is the first time since 2009 that the talismanic India batsman has played as few as 22 matches.