Chappell advises Kohli, Rohit to regain youthful mindset for success
What's the story
Former Indian cricket team coach, Greg Chappell, has advised star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reignite their youthful mindset. He believes this is crucial for the duo's success in the upcoming Test series against Australia. The advice comes as India aims to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy following a disappointing 0-3 home series loss to New Zealand. The five-match Test series in Australia will commence on November 22.
Mental demands
Chappell highlights mental challenges in cricket with age
Chappell had emphasized the heightened mental demands of cricket as one grows older, in a 2005 chat with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. He had said batting becomes difficult because of the challenge of sustaining the level of intense focus needed. "It's not the eyesight or the reflexes that drop off," but rather "the intense focus that is required that becomes harder to sustain," Chappell had written in a column for 'Sydney Morning Herald.'
Youthful approach
Chappell emphasizes the need for a youthful mindset in cricket
Chappell stressed the importance of a youthful mindset in cricket. He said as players grow older, they become more aware of the conditions of the game, and their weaknesses are analyzed by the opposition. To play like a younger player, one has to reignite the attitude and thought processes from their early years. This is especially true for Sharma, Kohli, and Australia's Steve Smith in the upcoming series against Australia.
Performance analysis
Chappell comments on Kohli's recent performance and future challenges
Chappell also spoke about Kohli's recent form, saying his aggressive mindset now has to be married with patience and focus. He called the upcoming series an opportunity for Kohli to re-establish himself as India's most fearsome batsman of his generation. For Sharma, the challenge is to marry his aggressive instincts with the calculated caution Test cricket demands and the pressure of captaincy.
Numbers
Kohli and Rohit's numbers of late
Since his Test return versus Bangladesh, Kohli has struggled with one half-century across five home Tests. He managed 6, 17, 47, and 29* versus Bangladesh before scoring 0, 70, 1, 17, 4, and 1 versus New Zealand. He averages 21.33 in his last 10 innings across the matches versus Bangladesh and NZ. Rohit managed just 91 runs across six innings in the New Zealand Test series. He averaged a mere 15.16 with a solitary fifty-plus score.