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How good is Virat Kohli? That's the question this reporter asked Waqar Younis - one of the greatest fast bowlers the game has ever seen - during the Asia Cup final between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Of course, Waqar was effusive in his praise for the Indian batting superstar.
Who could blame the Pakistan legend?
Kohli's ruthless streak with the bat has already earned him a place in the pantheon of modern greats.
But to get Waqar in top form, it was important to ask something personal. How would Waqar have bowled against India's master batsman?
The former Pakistan captain chuckled before opening up on the dream battle, giving clues to the current crop of international bowlers when they bowl at Kohli.
"Well, everyone's got a weakness and he has been found at times outside the off stump because he likes to drive early on," Waqar said.
It's after all that weakness outside off stump that famously troubled Kohli in the 2014 Test series in England.
Kohli worked so hard on that aspect of his game that he returned with 593 runs and two hundreds from the recent England Test series.
"I think as a bowler you have got to be sensible when you are bowling at him. You can't really challenge him. You have to stick to your plans I guess," Waqar said.
"And the best plan is if you are an outswing bowler, which I was in my days as a fast bowler in international cricket, I will probably bowl to him outside the off stump and look to take the ball away from him with a bit of short of a length and ask him to drive."
"Probably that's the only hope I have got but once he gets settled, the conditions don't really matter because he is such a good player."
Waqar says Kohli is going to become one of the greatest players in cricket.
"He is a fine player, he is another one who is going to be a great like Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar. I mean he is going to be up there with the very best the game has ever seen," Waqar concluded.
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com
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