Ex-chief selector Sandeep Patil wants India captain Virat Kohli to continue his aggressive ways in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series
Virat Kohli celebrates an Australian wicket in Adelaide recently. Pic/Getty Images
Sir Vivian Richards was not the only former attacking batsman to back Virat Kohli's aggressive ways Down Under yesterday. India's Sandeep Patil too supported Kohli's behaviour in the light of some experts cringing over the Indian captain's way of giving it back to the Australians.
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Patil, who picked up sizeable knowledge of wildlife ever since he played and coached in Kenya, told mid-day yesterday: "When a tiger's claws and teeth are clipped, it becomes tame. Kohli's aggression should not be thwarted and he is right in turning on the aggression. I want to see the tiger in the wild and not put in a cage." Kohli clashed with his counterpart Tim Paine in the last Test at Perth where Australia won to square the current series 1-1, a scoreline which makes the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne mouth-watering.
Sandeep Patil
"A lot of people have said he's too aggressive... I don't think so. When you have a guy who can lead from the front, it can only rub off on the individuals who are following him. As you can see, the Indian team today is the team to beat in world cricket," Richards was quoted as saying by PTI from Kolkata.
Patil, who was chairman of selectors before current chief selector, MSK Prasad, reckoned Kohli's behaviour should be accepted as long as it doesn't cross the line. "Look, there is the match referee to keep a check on things, the Indian cricket board too. If he crosses the line, he will pay the price but he should not stop being aggressive," added Patil, who recalled how he too decided to fight fire with fire as a batsman when he toured Australia in 1980-81. Patil slammed 174 in the Adelaide Test of that series after Aussie pacer Len Pascoe knocked him out in the first innings of the opening Test at Sydney. Patil had to retire hurt on 65, but returned in the second innings to score four.
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