The Aussies have been in town for but a few hours and there is already some chatter about whether they will sledge or not. It does not and should not surprise anyone. Over the years, they have built up a reputation as a team that likes to play hard cricket; as a team that gives no quarter; as a team that likes to sledge.
In their first press conference since landing in India, Australian captain Steven Smith addressed the issue right away:
“I think each of our individuals play the way they play and if they want to get into a battle verbally then, if that gets the best out of them, go for it,” Smith told reporters in Mumbai.
“It’s all about us making sure that as individuals we’re in the right mindset to go out and succeed and if guys want to get in those kind of battles then go for it.
“But in the end it’s about us playing on skill and making sure that our skills are in the best place for us to succeed in these conditions,” added the 27-year-old.
Smith made the decision sound much easier than it actually is. In fact, it might even mean the difference between an uber inspired Kohli and a regular one; between victory and defeat.
One only has to go back to the scenes from the 2014 tour of Australia – a tour that was to many, the making of Kohli the Test batsman.
Kohli’s numbers in that series were nothing short of being extraordinary: four matches, 692 runs, average of 86.50 with four centuries and a fifty to boot. The more Australia seemed to sledge Kohli, the better he seemed to get.
During the third Test, Kohli (who scored 169 during the Test) finally let it all spill out.
“They were calling me a spoilt brat,” Kohli told reporters. “I said ‘maybe that’s the way I am - I know you guys hate me and I like that’.
“I don’t mind having a chat on the field and it worked in my favour, I guess.
“I like playing against Australia because it’s really hard for them to stay calm.
“I don’t mind an argument on the field. It really excites me and brings the best out of me, so they don’t seem to be learning the lesson.”
“I respect a few of them but if someone doesn’t respect me I’ve got no reason to respect them,” added Kohli.
Suffice to say that sledging Kohli doesn’t yield results. But the same is perhaps true of guys like Murali Vijay (who averaged 60.25 during the 2014 series) and Ajinkya Rahane (who also weighed in with 399 runs at 57.00). So when Smith comes out and says that his guys can have a go at the Indians, he might be risking a lot.
Since that Australia tour, Kohli has got even better as a batsman. As captain, the right-hander has scored 2,353 runs at an average of 67.22. The Indians, too, are on a 19-match unbeaten streak at home, they are motivated and inspired and you certainly don’t want them to take things up a notch.
Sledging has its uses. It can help the opposition get under the skin of the batsmen. It can also disturb his concentration and Steve Waugh often referred to it as “mental disintegration” but you still have to pick your target well, explaining that to David Warner amongst others might be a tad too difficult but Smith must atleast try.
If he wants some inspiration, then he can perhaps learn from players like Glenn McGrath, who once spoke about why he stopped sledging Sachin Tendulkar: “My success against him came when I didn’t say a great deal. I realised quickly it was best not to talk too much.”
What was true of Sachin then, is now perhaps true of the Indian team as a whole. This team has grown and they are not easily cowed down. Indeed, it will take more than just sledging to do that.
In a recent interview to cricket.com.au, Mike Hussey also warned Smith to not antagonise Kohli if possible: “I wouldn’t try and fire him up,” Hussey said. “I think he thrives on that and he’s a real competitor. He loves being in the fight and loves the contest out in the middle.
“There’s no need to get involved in that sort of verbal barrage because I think that fires him up even more. The team that wins will be the one that can execute their skills at the highest quality and for the longest period of time. It’s not going to be the team that’s the most verbal or the most aggressive.”
But for now, the mind games have already started. Smith’s words have added an intriguing edge to the series and no one, certainly not Kohli, is complaining about it.