‘Kohli has the best technique in world cricket’

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh heaped praise on India’s Virat Kohli, saying that the right-hander has the best technique in world cricket.

In trying conditions at Edgbaston last week, Kohli struck 149 in a first inning total of 274 for India and became the top-ranked batsman in Test cricket in the ICC rankings.

“He has got the game to survive anywhere, I think he's got the best technique of anyone in world cricket," Waugh said. "He and AB de Villiers have got the best techniques, and AB de Villiers is not playing Test cricket so that makes him (Kohli) the stand-out player,” Waugh said.

Waugh also noted that Kohli is a batsman for the big occasions and thrives in them like great batters from the past.

“I think Steve Smith is probably the hungriest batsman but he's obviously not playing for 12 months, so Kohli really is the premier batsman in world cricket. And he likes the big occasion.

"Like (Brian) Lara and Tendulkar and (Viv) Richards and Javed Miandad, and all the great batsmen, they want the big occasion and that brings out the best in their cricket."

India will tour down under in November and Waugh suggested that the premier batsman will like to improve his record against the Aussies.

Kohli managed only 46 runs in five innings during India’s last tour of Australia and the Australian said that the star batsman would like to ‘equal the ledger’. India did go on to win the series 2-1 despite Kohli’s lack of contribution.

"He'll be putting a bit of pressure on himself, this [a win] will be the feather in the cap if he can pull this off," Waugh told the Cricket Australia website. "Steve Smith had an incredible series [in India last year] and made three centuries and scored about 500 runs, and Virat hardly scored a run. So that would have been deflating for him, and he will look to square the ledger when he comes back to Australia."