Team India is taking on New Zealand in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
Taking cognizance of the same, former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn suggested to play mind games with Indian captain Virat Kohli.
“You’ve got to play the mind games with Virat. I would look at putting somebody in at short leg. I would let him know that I’m going to come at him, come at his body, want to come quickly at him. And I’d want him to try and pull, because I feel like that’s his B game,” Steyn told Sanjay Manjrekar in an ESPNcricinfo video.
Steyn pointed out that every batter takes time to settle in, and he would use it to his advantage by setting a field that tacitly hints at bouncers in the over but bowl full-length deliveries to get an edge.
“We know, every batter’s feet in the first 20 balls is not moving as well as he’s like to. His eyes haven’t adjusted, he hasn’t adapted to the wicket just yet. So I’d want him to think I’m going to go short but I’ll probably bowl six full balls to him to be honest,” the 37-year-old stated.
The Phalaborwa-born reiterated that he would keep Kohli anticipating shorter balls and trick him in the process.
“I’ll probably trying to get him to nick every single ball but I’ll be telling him, ‘it’s coming… I’m going to hit you in the head you know’. I’m not going to swear at him but let him know that that short leg is in business,” Steyn concluded.
Kohli had smashed 593 runs in five Tests and ended up as the highest run-getter during India’s tour of England in 2018.
