Judge Virat by his cover
When executing the drive through the off-side, Virat Kohli is second to none
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
When executing the drive through the off-side, Virat Kohli is second to none. Nihal Koshie writes in the Indian Express why India’s most in-form batsman is ready to pierce packed fields and egos during the World Cup with a stroke that comes naturally to him.
Kohli’s cover drive finishes with a top-spin tennis-like flourish and without an extravagant follow through. The wrists come into play only once the bat meets the ball. The use of these supple, but strong wrists has also helped Kohli pick the gaps with ease ...
The makings of the cover drive, coach Raj Kumar Sharma had first witnessed before the Delhi lad turned 10. Even while an eight-year-old Kohli was picking up the nuances of the game at the West Delhi Cricket Academy — located within the premises of the St Sophia School in Paschim Vihar — his cover drive packed a punch, so to speak.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo