SYDNEY: Former Australia cricket captain Steve Waugh says on-field sledging by the hosts during next month’s Test series won’t bother India skipper Virat Kohli, while warning it may even inspire him.

Australia and India will play a four-Test series beginning with a day-night match in Adelaide on Dec 17 and later Tests in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The teams will also play three One-day Internationals beginning on Nov 27 and three Twenty20 Internationals.

“Sledging is not going to worry Virat Kohli, it doesn’t work against the great players and you are better off leaving those guys alone,” Waugh told SNTV in an interview late on Thursday.

“I think any extra motivation will make them dig in more and get more runs. So you’re better off not saying much to him.”

As Test captain from 1999 to 2004, Waugh led Australia to 15 of their record 16 consecutive wins, and to victory in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. He played 168 Tests for Australia and scored 10,927 runs.

Waugh is well-known for his love for India beyond the boundaries of cricket fields, highlighted by charity and other philanthropic work. He’s also a keen photographer and has released a new book The Spirit of Cricket India.

Waugh travelled throughout the country earlier this year through maidans (grounds) of Mumbai, backstreets of Kolkata and the foothills of the Himalayas to take photos. He is currently hosting an exhibition of the photos in Sydney.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2020