Australia must trouble Virat Kohli with disciplined bowling, not sledging: Jason Gillespie

New Delhi, Sep 14: Former Australia quick Jason Gillespie has a piece of advice for the Aussie bowlers ahead of the limited-overs series against India.

Gillespie, who is now the coach of Papua New Guinea, has advised Steve Smith and his boys to prevent themselves from provoking Indian skipper Virat Kohli with their sledging.

Instead, the 42-year-old believes the visitors must aim to trouble Kohli with their disciplined bowling efforts and get the modern day great out from his comfort zone.

In an interview to Times of India, Gillespie said, "Kohli is an amazing player. Once the field spreads, he can bat safely. I don't think Australia need to get into a verbal battle or get into staring competitions with Kohli.

"The best way to put him under pressure is through disciplined bowling. I would like to see the Aussie quicks bowl bouncers throat-high to get him on the back foot, make him think about it. The follow-up ball remains the key. Make him come forward inviting the drive. If there is movement off the wicket or in the air, then the edge comes into play. Maybe they can bowl on the stumps with two catchers on the on-side. It's about getting him out of his comfort zone."

Kohli has always been a major hurdle for Australia as the right-handed batsman has played some memorable innings against them.

Gillespie further stated that Australia would be certainly missing the services of their premier pacer Mitchell Starc but spoke highly of Nathan Coulter-Nile, another left-arm quick in the squad.

Gillespie also opined that Pat Cummins won't be able to feature in all the 5 ODIs but Coulter-Nile, who hits the deck hard and bowls fast, would play as many matches as possible.

"Starc is Australia's premier fast bowler in ODIs. It's unfortunate that he is not part of the series. But I feel the others can do the job. I don't expect Cummins to play every ODI. Maybe two-three out of the five. Coulter-Nile could play as many games as possible. I know the selectors think highly of Coulter-Nile because he bowls fast and hits the pitch hard. Hopefully, he can perform well in India," he added.

It is not common when Indian fast bowlers garner praise from Australian quicks but Gillespie also lauded the present pace battery and felt they have an edge over their Aussie counterparts.

"The Indian attack has the edge. The Indian seamers, Shami, Yadav, Bhuvneshwar, Jasprit Bumrah, adapt well to the surfaces in India. It appears to me that they have clear plans and are embracing the challenge of bowling on flat surfaces. I'm sure the Aussies too will go in with the similar attitude and they will not think that they will be belted around. Attitude is everything with regards to bowling in Indian conditions," Gillespie opined.

When asked about a possible outcome of the series, the former Aussie pacer backed his home side and predicted Smith and Co would win by 3-2, though India are a very strong side at home.

He stated further, "At home, India are almost unbeatable. It's a tough ask for any side. It's going to be a closely-fought series. I feel Australia will win 3-2."