'Don't compare Virat and Sachin'

Raj Kumar Sharma, the childhood coach of Indian skipper Virat Kohli, on Saturday asserted that he doesn't want a comparison between former Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and his protege.

"I don't want to make any comparison. Sachin was a great batsman and has many records to his name. But the way Virat has shown consistency in all three formats is a big achievement. Sachin was Virat's idol. Since both of them played in two different eras, they cannot be compared," Raj Kumar told ANI.

Stressing that Rohit Sharma will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders in the three-match T20I series against West Indies beginning November 4 in Kolkata, he said, "The T20I format suits them (West Indies). They can be dangerous. We saw the glimpses of this during the initial matches of ODIs and now after Andre Russell, Carlos Braithwaite and Keiron Pollard return, this will be an uphill task. These players can snatch the match from your grasp on any given day. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit must fire on all cylinders since the middle-order is fragile."

He also lauded the inclusion of domestic speedsters, Shahbaz Nadeem and Krunal Pandya, in the Indian squad.

Further expressing optimism about Virat's performance in the upcoming Australia Tour, he stated, "You have to play aggressive cricket in Australia and considering the ball comes on to the wicket, Virat can play nice strokes there. There is bounce in the wicket but it does not deter him.