Steve Smith wants to test Virat Kohli's temperament on India tour

Aussie skipper Steve Smith wants India captain Virat Kohli “a little bit angry” when they face off against India in the 4-match Test series competing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The 1st match is scheduled at Pune on 23rd February. Smith felt that getting behind him in every way possible might actually help the Australians and distract Kohli’s focus from the game.

The Aussie skipper suggested that Kohli was a great cricketer and led his troops exceptionally well in the last 18 months, but he felt that Kohli is a very emotional character on the field. “He is a world-class player and he has, obviously, led the Indian team incredibly well over the last 18 months or so. He is a very emotional character out on the field, but I think he has improved a lot there,” Smith said on ABC Grandstand on Monday.

“I guess for us as a team it’s trying to get him out of the strong emotional state and try and make him, I guess, a little bit angry and ruffle his feathers and things like that”.I think if you can get him in that state then the Indian team can possibly be a little vulnerable,”

In their previous tour of India, the Aussies were thrashed 4-0 and Smith conceded that it will be a very difficult series for the visitors. Kohli who averages a shade over 60 against the Australians has a history of several on-field brawls with them but the situation might change this time around. “We go there in February and, no doubt, it’s going to be an incredibly difficult tour — going to India always is,” Smith said.

“Four Tests there, it’s a great opportunity for this team, where we are going to be the underdogs going there”.

“It would be fantastic to win a series there and we are going to have to make sure our processes are in order and we play a lot better than we have done in sub-continent conditions,” he concluded.