SYDNEY // Having featured regularly in war of words with new India captain Virat Kohli in the ongoing Test series, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson believes the volatile batsman will probably be more aggressive than MS Dhoni, his predecessor.
Kohli replaced Dhoni after the wicketkeeper’s sudden retirement from Test cricket after the drawn third match in Melbourne.
“Ever since I’ve seen him play cricket, I’ve always seen him pretty fiery,” Johnson said in Sydney ahead of the fourth and final Test match, which starts on Tuesday. “So he’ll definitely be an aggressive type of captain I think in the way he sets fields, and I think you’ll see a lot different to what MS did.
“He’s an interesting character. He is a fierce competitor and he really does like to get involved in it all.”
Kohli, who led India in Dhoni’s absence in the first Test in Adelaide, has been involved in a battle with virtually the entire Australian team this series, exchanging heated words on the field, particularly with Johnson and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Kohli, 26, fuelled that further during the third Test in Melbourne when he said he deliberately set out to provoke the Australians because they could give it, but not take it, on the field.
“I like playing against Australia because it’s really hard for them to stay calm,” he said after he scored a brilliant 169 that included carting Johnson all around the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“I don’t mind an argument on the field. It really excites me and brings the best out of me, so they don’t seem to be learning the lesson.”
Johnson, however, said the banter exchanged between the two sides had not been all that venomous.
“It’s just harmless stuff, that’s out there,” the bowler said. “There’s a lot of talk out in the media at the moment as bad sledging and pretty full-on stuff, but it’s all pretty harmless.
“Virat’s just been telling us how many runs he’s scored and we’ve just been saying we’re two-nil up in the series, so that’s pretty much it.
“It’s always been part of the game and always will be.”
Leon Johnson thrilled by West Indies fight against South Africa
CAPE TOWN // Debutant off-spinner Simon Harmer took three wickets before West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin led a fightback against South Africa on the first day of the third Test at Newlands on Friday.
West Indies, who are attempting to square the series, were 276 for six at stumps.
“We showed the fight we have been talking about,” said top scorer Leon Johnson, who made 54. “We are one or two wickets too many down, but we’re very happy with the position we’re in.”
If the West Indies were happy, the same applied to Harmer, who was added to the South African squad three days ago and told on Thursday he would make his debut in place of leg-spinner Imran Tahir.
Harmer took three for 67 and was mainly responsible for the West Indies slipping to 172 for five, dismissing Devon Smith, Johnson and Shivnarine Chanderpaul during an impressive first day of Test cricket.
“Since I was four years old I have always wanted to play for my country, but if you had told me 10 days ago that I would be sitting here, I probably would have slapped you,” he said.
Ramdin (53) and Jermaine Blackwood (45 not out) put on 94 for the sixth wicket to enable the West Indies to finish with a respectable total after it seemed they had squandered the advantage of winning the toss and batting first on an easy-paced pitch.
Harmer took a wicket with the last ball of his fourth over. It came from a poor shot by Smith, who chopped onto his stumps after battling to 47.
Johnson made 54 off 84 balls before he was deceived by a quicker ball from Harmer. Samuels scored 43 off 70 balls but left in shame after playing a loose drive against the first ball from part-time bowler Stiaan van Zyl. The ball went straight to Faf du Plessis at cover.
After tea, Harmer fired the ball down the leg side and Chanderpaul, on nine, was stumped by AB de Villiers.
Ramdin struck the ball solidly before being caught and bowled by Dale Steyn, who took the first wicket of the match when he had Kraigg Brathwaite caught at gully.
His two wickets gave him 391 in Tests, moving into second place on South Africa’s all-time wicket-taking list, behind only Shaun Pollock’s 421.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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