KOLKATA: Pakistan great Saqlain Mushtaq would always advise the England spin duo of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid to treat skipper Virat Kohli like the entire Indian team, saying the prolific batsman alone is like a complete eleven.
Saqlain was associated with the England as spin consultant till World Cup last year. Both Moeen and Rashid have dismissed Virat Kohli six times each.
“Yeh ek nahin, yeh gyarah hai. I would just tell them Virat’s wicket is like bowling out the entire Indian team. He is like XI players in one, you have to see him like that,” the 43-year-old said in an Instagram Live with Nikhil Naz. “As a bowler you have to be clear in your mind. Yes, you have a world class player who is at the top of his game and does not face any issue against any type of spinner, be it left-arm, offie or a leggie. But I would tell them the pressure is more on him not you, as the whole world is watching him. You have to be clear in your mind.”
One of the best dismissals of Kohli has been the one effected by leg-spinner Rashid who cleaned up the Indian captain with a delivery that pitched around leg, turned sharply and clipped the off-stump during the Headingley ODI in 2018.
Saqlain had named it as “Virat-wala delivery” and would encourage Rashid to consistently practice that during the nets.
“It was a wide ball and had a lot of drift and clipped the bail. I would tell him to bowl Virat-wala delivery so that he keeps producing that at the nets.” (PTI)
