I find Kohli's style of captaincy similar to Ponting's: Hussey

Image
Press Trust of India Chennai
Last Updated : Aug 15 2017 | 4:22 PM IST
Former Australia batsman Mike Hussey feels that Virat Kohli's aggressive style of captaincy is quite similar with that of Ricky Ponting.
"Kohli has been brilliant. I like the way he captains. I like his aggressive nature and his will to win. He had this desire to push his team as far as he could. He set very high standards during training and in the game. I do see some similarities with Ponting. The will to win, that competitiveness," Hussey told PTI during an interaction.
The Australian team will be in India next month for a limited overs series and Hussey reckons it will be very competitive.
"It will be a good series hopefully. They play their one-day cricket well. They have some good players and have won some good (ODI) series here over the years, though not in the Tests. The key will be to not rely on any one player. It is not one person that is the key. Everyone needs to know what their job is and perform as well as they can," said Hussey.
He said though the Indians would be confident after a comprehensive victory in the Test series in Sri Lanka, a (ODI) series against Australia would be different.
"I am sure their confidence will be high after the Sri Lanka series. They also have an excellent limited-overs team. However, a ODI series against Australia is different," he said of the Indians.
Currently in India for a stint as an expert commentator in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), Hussey also spoke highly of the present Australia captain Steven Smith, who he said had improved a lot over the years and had scored runs consistently.
"Smith has been brilliant. He reads the game well. It obviously agreed with his own batting. Since he has been captain, his form has been incredible as well. He has been an excellent captain as well," the former CSK player said.
He singled out young Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar for special praise and said the lanky player had a lot of talent.
"Sundar is talented, looks a very good player and KB Arun Karthick is a nice player too, bats very well. The TNPL is bringing to the fore some good cricketers, who can go on to play in the IPL and for India too."
About the return of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for next year's IPL, the dynamic left-hander, who played for the franchise for a few years, said,"I am very excited about CSK being back. I have great memories (of CSK) as a player. Love the franchise. There will be challenges with the team coming back after two years out."
Hussey believes that CSK can replicate the success that they had with Dhoni as the captain.
"They had a fantastic run with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain. Stephen Fleming did a fantastic job as a coach, plus they had good support staff and good owner that allowed the players their way. These were ingredients to build a successful team. If they do things right, there is no reason why the CSK can't be successful again," Hussey said.
Asked if he would be interested in a coaching job at CSK, he said, "I loved playing for the team. I have great friendships here and a strong rapport with CSK. If there is an opportunity, I would be very interested, for sure.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 15 2017 | 4:22 PM IST

Next Story