Containing Virat Kohli to first 10-15 balls will be Important - Mike Hesson

Former New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson has suggested that the Kiwis needs to contain India skipper Virat  Kohli with 10-15 deliveries when both teams square in the limited-overs cricket.

Meanwhile, India will play five one-day internationals and three T20I against New Zealand starting from January 23. The men in blues have been a force to reckon with in this format. They have a balanced squad and with the bowlers complementing the batters, it makes them unstoppable.

Apart from Kohli, the swashbuckling form of Rohit Sharma has boosted the current Indian team. Sharma has been of top-notch and he can destroy any bowling line-up when in mood. Mike Hesson cautioned New Zealand to not take Rohit Sharma lightly and urged them to have a plan against him.

“The key thing is if you can contain Virat Kohli in the first 10-15 balls where he has to take some risks to get his innings underway then that will provide opportunities,” Hesson said to ESPNcricinfo.com.

“Rohit Sharma is in incredibly good form at the moment and has been for a long time. The thing with Rohit is that once he is in, once he gets himself set, he generally dictates the outcome of the game. It’s making sure that the new-ball bowlers can attack Rohit early on whether it’ll be with swing or with some other variations wide outside the crease or whatever,” he added.

The Kiwis need to find an answer to a few puzzles

Speaking about his old team, Mike Hesson stated that they need to work on certain areas ahead of the World Cup. Moreover, Hesson feels if they can sort their problems they can give a tough fight to the title contenders.

“I think there are a couple pieces of the puzzle the Black Caps would be keen to find out before the World Cup. Who is the all-rounder? Who provides that balance? A lot of options are there. From a bowling point of view, who’s going to take wickets in the middle overs when it’s flat? I think if they can get that sorted then the side’s looking very good,” he signed off.