“Experience can be a double-edged sword,” says Greg Chappell. “In a conversation with Sachin [Tendulkar] some years back, I remember telling him this. He asked me why it is that batting gets difficult as the years go by, and I said to him that as a young player who doesn’t have the experience, all you do is react to the ball. You see the ball, and play it on merit. Your mind doesn’t think much. But with experience, you know what to expect. You know what the bowlers want to do, what can come at you and where, and you have plans for each of these things.
“But then, because you have so many plans, your mind is not the same as when you were young. And that can clutter your mind. Rohit [Sharma] and Virat [Kohli] will need to free their mind of clutter in the final. They have all the experience and know what to do. The question is: will they be fully switched on or will they have a fraction of self-doubt? A switched-on Virat or Rohit could be the difference between an Indian or Australian win. That’s how thin the margin for error is in a one-off final.”
In a candid conversation which lasted an hour, Chappell answered many questions relating to the World Test Championship (WTC) final. He even said that despite all the positives about Shubman Gill, there were a couple of things that he does, which the Australians must notice and exploit. Excerpts from a conversation in two parts:
Boria: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – both huge players for India. I know you said experience can be a double-edged sword, but it can also be of great help. Virat is the best of his era. And yet he hasn’t had the same success in England as he has had in Australia. Any particular reason you think? And for Rohit, will his IPL form or lack of it be of any concern going into the Test match?
Chappell: Virat Kohli was asked a lot of questions in England in 2014 and 2021 by [Jimmy] Anderson, [Stuart] Broad and the rest of the English bowlers. They bowled some excellent lines and lengths to him in conditions that suited them. They knew he is the best, and lifted themselves when bowling to him. To think or say that the Australians will be able to do the same from ball one is not correct. The English know their own conditions better than anyone else in the world. And Virat loves to bat against the Australians. We have seen that in Australia.
His record is evidence of how good he is. He loves a contest and is never one to back off from one. The Oval, from all of my experience, is going to have bounce and it will suit Virat. You have said to me that the weather has stayed dry so far. If the weather continues to stay dry, The Oval is as close to an Australian wicket in England as you will ever get. And that will suit Virat. I think if he is mentally switched on, like I have said to you earlier in the conversation, he will get runs for India. He is a very good player and someone who can make a telling difference.
Coming to Rohit, yes, I totally agree the IPL is different. The weather, the conditions, the format, everything is different. And it is not about what you or I or anyone else feels about his form. It is all about what Rohit feels. Does he have any self-doubt? Or he is feeling good about going out there and batting? If he is in a good zone as he steps out, there is no question he will bat well. Yes, questions will be asked of him by good bowlers bowling good balls, but that’s no different for Rohit compared to any other batter. If he is in a good mind space, IPL form will not matter in this Test match.
Boria: The one player India have got back is Ajinkya [Rahane]. Your thoughts on the selection?
Chappell: I think it is a good selection, and the selectors must be given credit for it. This is a final, and you need players who you think can stand up for you in a final. We have seen he can handle pressure. He was exceptional as a leader and batter in Melbourne when India last toured Australia. He had a good IPL, and that will give him the confidence going into the Test match. And in England, there will be a lot of catches behind the wicket as well, where Ajinkya is exceptional for India. Overall, I actually think it is a very good selection.
Boria: For Australia, both [Steven] Smith and [Marnus] Labuschagne will once again hold the key in batting, and Marnus is coming in on the back of some stellar form in county cricket.
Chappell: Yes, they will, and both of them have been around for long enough to know what is expected of them. They will prefer these conditions over Indian conditions, and that should come as a relief. This Australian team is forever trying to do things they have not done before, and the WTC final offers them an opportunity. I very much believe the two of them will stand up for Australia in this match and, in a sense, it will also set them up for the Ashes that will follow.
Boria: Let me ask you about Shubman Gill. How much have you seen of him, and how impressed are you with him?
Chappell: Yes, he is a very good player. There can be no debate about the fact that he has the ability and potential to do well in Test cricket. What India has also done really well is they have given their players exposure by sending them overseas, and allowing them to play in overseas conditions. That makes them better players. So Gill must have played 75 List-A games [79] already, and has toured England and Australia multiple times. At 23, he is an experienced player in that sense.
Also, he is coming in on the back of some very good form in the IPL. That always gives a player huge confidence, and Gill will be no different. In all these positives, I have also noticed a couple of things Gill does at the start of his innings that I am sure the Australians have also watched. And in English conditions, they will look to exploit the opportunities they get. I won’t tell you more, but can surely say that there are one or two things that he does when he takes his stance that can give the Australian bowlers a chance against him. And if I have noticed them, I am sure Andrew McDonald, who is an experienced coach, has noticed these things as well.
Boria: Finally to Pat Cummins. I have great respect for him as a leader. He had a tough tour of India, and had to leave midway because of his family issues. It must have been hugely difficult, and now that he has been somewhat able to deal with them, do you think he is ready to lead by example again?
Chappell: Pat Cummins is a hugely committed cricketer. And his leadership is also partly prompted by his own performances as a bowler. He has bowled some fantastic spells since he has taken over. He knows what lengths he needs to bowl, and has the quality to do so. I think as leader, he will want to use Scott Boland, who has also matured as a bowler in the last few years and bowled some special spells at the MCG. Cummins has the resources. He knows the stakes are huge. And as I said, this is not something any Australian captain has done before. So I am confident he will be ready for the challenge.