Sydney: Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson feels new India Test skipper Virat Kohli’s “in your face” attitude will spill over to his captaincy and will bring an aggressive approach to the way the Indians play cricket.
Kohli and Johnson have had frequent run-ins during the first three matches of the four-Test series, which Australia have already sealed in their favour after winning the first two Tests and the third being a draw.
“It could be quite interesting because they’re not known for that aggressive type of play. But ever since I’ve seen him play cricket, I’ve always seen him pretty fiery,” said Johnson.
“So he’ll definitely be an aggressive type of captain I think in the way he sets fields, and I think you’ll see a lot different to what M S did. He is a fierce competitor and he really does like to get involved in it all,” he added.
Johnson said Kohli’s approach hardly changes irrespective of who the opponents are.
“It doesn’t matter who he plays against, he plays in your face and that is how he likes to play the game. Virat’s just been telling us how many runs he’s scored and we’ve just been saying we’re two-nil up in the series so that’s pretty much it. It’s always been part of the game and always will be,” said Johnson.
Johnson, meanwhile, said he was forced to cut down on his pace due to longer stints he was asked to bowl against India but is now keen to go back to his shorter spells, similar to those he fired down at England last summer.
Except for an influential spell on the final morning of the Gabba Test, Johnson has not been up to the mark so far in the ongoing series against India, and also had to reduce his pace by around 10km/h than what England and South Africa were subjected to. Key to his high speed were the short bursts of around three overs that Michael Clarke kept Johnson fresh for.
“I’ve been bowling longer spells. That’s been at the back of my mind where I know I’m going to be bowling four, five, six over spells that I can’t be flat out every ball. It has dropped off a little bit,” Johnson insisted. (PTI)