Delhi: Ravi Shastri, a former veteran player and head coach of India, believes that Virat Kohli and Steve Smith may not have been able to perform to their full potential yet, but both of them will perform well in the remaining two Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Giants can prove to be 'dangerous' and will be desperate to score runs. Let us tell you that the five-match series between India and Australia is currently tied at 1-1. The fourth match of this series will be played from December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where both the teams would like to win and take the lead in the series.
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Kohli and Smith are part of cricket's 'Fab Four', which also includes Joe Root and Kane Williamson. In recent times, Kohli and Smith have been seen struggling with the bat. However, in the current series, both have definitely scored a century each.
Ravi Shastri said in 'ICC Review', “Based on the current form, they (Kohli and Smith) have come down in the rankings. Joe Root is scoring runs continuously, and Williamson is also in excellent form. Harry Brook and other young players have also impressed in recent times, but Kohli and Smith are world-class players. In such a situation, both of them can prove to be very dangerous, because they are eager to score runs.
Smith has scored 0, 17, 2, 101 and 4 in the five innings of the current series, while Kohli has scored 126 runs at an average of 31.50, which includes an unbeaten 100* in the Perth Test. Smith scored the 33rd century of his career in the Brisbane Test. Shastri believes that both these players have the full potential to make a comeback on the basis of their strong mentality.
Regarding the fourth Test at MCG, Shastri said that the Indian team will have to play with patience and discipline. He said, “Smith showed what to do in difficult situations. Even though he had to struggle in the beginning, he batted defensively and disciplined. Same applies for Virat also. If Virat spends 30-40 minutes at the crease, I don't think he will have any problem in scoring runs.”
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