Team India are leaving no stone unturned in preparing for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand in Southampton. The Indian squad is in managed quarantine at the Rose Bowl and the players have already started training ahead of the summit clash on June 18. All eyes will be on Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is expected to shoulder the majority of run-scoring responsibilities for his side.
Kohli was the top-scorer for India when the team last toured England for a five-match Test series in 2018. Having aced the English conditions, Kohli will be eager to deliver once again for his side in the all-important final. However, former New Zealand captain Glenn Turner feels Kohli is likely to struggle in the final if the conditions favour seam and swing.
Turner pointed out how Kohli had failed to deliver in India’s Test series in New Zealand last year where the visitors were thrashed 2-0. Kohli had managed only 38 runs in two Tests as he struggled in the swing-friendly conditions.
“I don’t wish to speculate on whether Kohli’s reflexes have deteriorated. But if the pitch and overall conditions favour seam and swing, he is also likely to struggle along with others as was demonstrated in New Zealand,” Turner, a former New Zealand selector, was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
“Once again, conditions are going to be pivotal,” Turner said. “I think it is true to say that the home conditions, where batsmen are brought up, play a significant part in the technique and skills of a player,” he added.
Kohli had notched up a staggering 593 runs in the Test series in England in 2018 where he performed exceptionally well against the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad to prove his mettle in English conditions. The Indian skipper will be eager to repeat his heroics once again this year.
While Turner admitted there are pitches in India which favour the fast bowlers but none of them are close to how tracks behave in England. He said the conditions in England are similar to that in New Zealand, where India had struggled on their last tour.
“Although it seems that in more recent times, pitches in India can assist seam bowling, they still can’t be compared to conditions in New Zealand. This was exposed when India last toured New Zealand,” he said.
“English conditions are generally closer to those in New Zealand,” Turner added.
