Published: Mar 12, 2015, 10:53 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 12, 2015, 11:33 AM (IST)
Auckland: Dav Whatmore, the Zimbabwe, coach, has said that Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have done well to live up to the potential they showed at a young age. Whatmore’s Zimbabwe will take on India in their final ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match at Auckland on Saturday. Both Kohli and Jadeja are a part of the Indian team and have been fixtures in the one-day squad for a few years. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of Zimbabwe’s training session in Auckland, Whatmore said, “Like any young player, if you are involved in their development, it is always nice to see progress. To be very honest with you, I was only there for a short period of time but the time I spent with them was enjoyable. It wasn’t difficult to see that they had potential to go on and it is nice to see they have realised it. There is still more for them to do.” ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
Whatmore was the coach of the Indian team at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2008 in Malaysia. Kohli had captained that team and led them to the title by beating South Africa in a tight final. Jadeja was also an important all-rounder in the team. Kohli made his debut for India later that year in Sri Lanka, while Jadeja was drafted into the squad in early 2009. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
Whatmore also threw light on Kohli’s personality, calling him confident by nature. “He is confident. He was confident also as an under-19 captain. But, there have been many examples of confident young players who don’t follow up and follow through. He is one who has,” Whatmore said.
India have won all their games at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, and Whatmore complemented their bowling for that success. “It is a team that is bowling the opposition out frequently and that has been a big plus for India. Their batting talent has never really been in question. What was needed was a good strong bowling performance and they have done that,” Whatmore said.
India will now face Zimbabwe on Saturday at Auckland, which would be their last league game. In all likelihood, India will face Bangladesh in the quarter-final at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
