Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif observed that even a bowler like Scott Boland, who plays infrequently for Australia, understands Virat Kohli‘s weakness. Boland targets the area outside Kohli’s off-stump, inducing edges to the slips.
“When Boland, someone who doesn’t play consistently, knows how to exploit this, why can’t we trap Travis Head? If his weakness is outside the off-stump, why don’t we consistently bowl there? Every batsman has weaknesses.”
Kaif questioned India’s strategy against Travis Head, emphasising the need to exploit his vulnerability outside the off-stump. He believes that if Boland can exploit Kohli’s weakness, India should be able to target Head’s known frailty. He highlighted that every batsman has their own weaknesses.
“Virat Kohli ki kamzori log pakad ke rakhe hue hai, off-stump ke bahar ball daalo, wo waha out honge. You’ll need to adopt the same strategy against Travis Head as well. You need to move ahead with proper planning. You need to attack him from the first ball; you need to make a fixed plan to exploit his weakness, and then you can get him out.”
Kaif further elaborated on Kohli’s weakness, suggesting that it is well-known and exploited by bowlers who persistently target the area outside his off-stump. He advocated a similar approach against Head, emphasising the importance of a pre-determined plan and attacking from the outset. Kaif believes focusing on Head’s weakness from the first ball will increase the chances of dismissing him.
“We are making mistakes. I don’t believe this Australian team is so strong that we should be scared of them. We won the first match; Australia played well, so they won the second match, and now the series is 1–1. The Indian team is a strong side, and when we go to the Gabba, we will make a comeback.”
Travis Head achieved a significant milestone on Saturday, setting a new record for the fastest century in a day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval against India. His performance helped Australia win the Adelaide Test by 10 wickets, earning him the player-of-the-match award.
Head’s blistering innings saw him reach 140 runs from just 141 balls, maintaining an impressive strike rate of 99.29.