Virat Kohli banks on spin experience against Sri Lanka

New Delhi: After a long period of being out in the cold, Harbhajan Singh’s stars seem to be on the upswing. The 35-year-old off-spinner, who played his first Test in two years last month in Bangladesh and even featured in the ODIs in Zimbabwe after a four-year hiatus from the 50-over format, has now got Test skipper Virat Kohli’s vote of confidence ahead of India’s tour to Sri Lanka.

Speaking to the BCCI’s official website, Kohli suggested he was looking forward to seeing Harbhajan bag wickets and also play the role of mentor in the side. “We have a lot of experience in the spin department. Harbhajan Singh has been a match-winner for India in Test matches and One-day cricket. It’s great to have his vision, his ideas and his confidence back in the team,” Kohli told bcci.tv.

Another veteran making a comeback is 32-year-old leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who last played a Test in August 2011. “He is bowling really well in the last one year or so and that is the reason why we wanted him in the team as well,” Kohli said of Mishra, adding: “Ravichandran Ashwin (the other spinner in the squad) has been wonderful for us.”

Kohli, however, said it would be unwise to rely only on spin in the upcoming three-Test series. “Not just the spinners but the fast bowlers will also play a massive role in Sri Lanka. With the ball reversing later on, the fast bowlers have been the ones who have come in and given those crucial breakthroughs,” he said.

Other players who came in for praise from the skipper included batsmen Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane has been in the news lately since being made stand-in captain for the Zimbabwe ODIs after being dropped by ODI skipper MS Dhoni in Bangladesh. 

Kohli said he felt the Mumbai batsman was integral to India’s Test success.

“I really like Ajinkya (Rahane) as a batsman and as a fielder. Really nice to have a guy who has so much energy and puts in 100% every time he steps on the field. Every ball that he plays, every ball that he fields, he is always there for the team,” Kohli said. “He is willing to do anything the team requires of him and he is one guy who will be a very important factor as far as Team India doing well in Test cricket is concerned. He brings that solidity in the middle order, coming straight after me.”

Opener Murali Vijay was in excellent form in Australia, which didn’t escape Kohli’s attention either. “In Tests he has been a very solid opener for us, especially after the pair of Sehwag and Gambhir that we had, he is the one who has given us lot of stability at the top of the order. Everyone has a few hiccups in his career, all of us are in that bracket and all of us have gone through it. The best thing about him is that he is mentally very strong. He has a lot of patience, a very solid character and is very sure of himself and of his game,” he said.

BCCI bans wives, girlfriends during Sri Lanka tour

Mumbai: Team India players reportedly have been informed that their wives and girlfriends will not be allowed during their official tour to Sri Lanka. Media reports claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) this time prohibited wives and girlfriends from accompanying Indian cricketers.

Team India is scheduled to play three Tests starting in Galle on 12 August. 

The team - led by Captain Virat Kohli - will reach Colombo on 3 August. Indian Express quoted a BCCI official as saying, “Most of the players on tour are just coming off a month-long break where they had enough time to spend with their families. And we’ve decided that their wives will not be allowed on tour.”  According to sources, after Bangladesh tour fiasco, BCCI does not want to take any risk and wants cricketers to concentrate on their matches.

However, this would not be the first time when BCCI would ban wives and girlfriends of cricketers to accompany them during official tour.

The Indian Board earlier too had issued notice prohibiting partners on tours. This time board members claimed that previous policy should be implemented again as the players have spent considerable time home. (Source: OneIndia News)