Clarke said that India need to do well in the limited-overs leg of the tour in Australia, given Kohli will not be there in majority of test series
Former Australian cricketer and captain Michael Clarke has said that Indian skipper Virat Kohli's absence in the test series will be a major blow for India for more reasons than one.
Virat Kohli, who will be leaving Australia for the birth of his first child with wife and actor Anushka Sharma, will be missing the the last three of the four tests.
In the middle of the ODI series currently, Clarke feels that it is crucial for India to do well in the limited-overs leg of the tour, without which it will be really tough them to beat Australia in Tests at home, especially without Kohli.
Speaking on an episode of Inspiration on India Today TV, Clarke said, "Virat Kohli is the best player in the world. Anytime he is not playing, it’s going to be a huge loss for India. What I meant was India have to start well, they need some success in the ODI series and T20 series to carry that momentum into the Test series."
“In my opinion, having Virat Kohli only in the first Test makes it extremely hard for India to win that Test series, particularly in Australian conditions.”
The last time India visited Australia, the won the test series 2-1, albeit Australia were without David Warner and Steve Smith. This time, not just Virat, India will also be missing their leader of the bowling attack in the tests - Ishant Sharma.
Clarke said that not just as a player, India will miss 'Kohli - the captain' more as he brings much more to the table than just being a player. He even compared his importance as a leader to that of MS Dhoni.
“How do you replace Virat Kohli? It’s impossible. Not only his batting but also his leadership, his aggressive approach, that’s what he brings to that side. The Indian team follow him. He is their true leader."
“I would probably be saying the same if MS Dhoni was captain and he was returning to India after the first Test. I would be saying the same thing because his impact in and around the group, it’s exactly the same," Clarke added.
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