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Cricket PlayersIndia vs Australia: Sourav Ganguly backs Virat Kohli to bounce back in Melbourne T20I
Sourav Ganguly defended his lack of form in the Brisbane T20I and said that Virat Kohli will certainly bounce back in the next encounter against Australia in Melbourne.
India may have started their T20I series against Australia with a narrow loss in Brisbane but former skipper Sourav Ganguly was quite happy with how Virat Kohli & Co performed on Wednesday.
In the rain-hit first T20I, the visitors failed to cross the line while chasing a revised target set on the Duckworth-Lewis method.The Virat Kohli-led side has already emerged victorious in seven consecutive bilateral T20 series in a row and will surely leave no stone unturned to make it eight.
Ganguly believes that the performance of the Indian cricket team was quite impressive against Australia in the first T20I and in his opinion, they have a good chance of making a comeback in the three-match series.
“India played good cricket. It was the first match of the series and you also have to consider the fact that they didn’t even play a practice match. Shikhar Dhawan batted really well. But when you chase such a big target, there’s always pressure on your batsmen. The series is wide open and India have a chance to make it 2-1. I am happy with India’s performance,” Ganguly said in an interview with India TV.
READ: Shikhar Dhawan breaks Virat Kohli’s T20I record during Gabba blitz
Shikhar Dhawan kept the touring side in the hunt through a 42-ball 76 but they kept losing wickets at regular intervals to allow the required run rate to climb beyond their reach. Although he was unable to finish the job for his side, Ganguly believes that it was one of his best knocks in the shortest format of the game.
“It was probably one of Dhawan’s best T20I knocks. The way he was hitting the ball, he seemed to be in a different zone. I hope he continues to play well in the next matches as I feel India have a chance to come back in the series,” he said.
It was also a rare off-day for skipper Virat Kohli as he missed a sitter to dismiss Aaron Finch and then, ended up gifting his wicket for just 4. Ganguly defended his lack of form in the Brisbane T20I and said that Kohli will certainly bounce back in the next encounter in Melbourne.
“Virat will take a little time to get used to T20 cricket as he hasn’t played this format for some time. But he is a quality player and will perform well in the next match,” the former India captain concluded saying.
