NEWS
Follow UsIndia are set to play as many as six Tests in three months in England, beginning with the World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 18, followed by five Tests against the hosts in August-September. Former India captain Kapil Dev reckons Virat Kohli who has not scored a century since 2019, will get his runs if he is patient, but cautions him against being over-aggressive.
"I expect him to excel. Can you really shackle him? He is a natural when it comes to adapting but I would caution him to not be over-aggressive. He will have to measure it session by session. He'll be better off waiting for his moments of dominance," Kapil told Mid-Day in an interview.
"He will get his runs with a bit of patience. Trying too hard and too early doesn’t work in England where you need to watch the movement of the ball. If you play seam and swing well, show patience, you will succeed in England," the 1983 World Cup-winning captain added.
After a disastrous tour in 2014, in which he managed just 134 runs from 10 innings, he bounced back in style in 2018, scoring 593 runs in the five Tests, but could not prevent India from going down 4-1 in the series.
Kapil also warned India not to take England lightly, given that they are a good side in home conditions.
"I want this team to remember that England in England is tough. They are a very good team when playing at home but then, it will also depend on how the Indian bowlers adapt to the conditions and pitches. Swing will be very rewarding and here I feel England are one step ahead of India," Kapil, who led India to a 2-0 series win in England in 1986 said.