Virat Kohli will be able to adapt to playing without crowd: Nathan Lyon

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has swept the globe continues to postpone or stall any cricketing activity across the world. The way the situation stands right now, there is no certainty as to how the events will be conducted once the world starts recovering or is in a shape to afford matches. However, one of the suggestions that were floated earlier before the situation became grave was of conducting the events behind closed doors, and in all likelihood that is how the boards would want to organize matches before opening the door for spectators.

Playing in front of empty stadiums is going to be a different experience, especially for stars who are used to big crowds chanting their names. Some even thrive on audience reaction and use it to great effect. India and RCB captain Virat Kohli is one such player. His interaction with the crowd often grabs the headlines, whether it is about egging on a certain section of the crowd to cheer for team India or requesting them to not boo other crickets – as he did for Steven Smith not very long ago.

Aussie cricketers Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc both think it will be interesting to see how the Indian captain adapts to empty stadiums if the IND vs AUS Test series, scheduled for later this year in Australia, happens without a crowd.

"He's probably good enough to adapt to any scenario. But I was talking to Mitch Starc the other day and we actually said that if we are playing with no crowd, it'll be quite amazing to see Virat trying to rev up the (empty) seats," Lyon told cricket.com.au.

"It's going to be a little bit different, but Virat is a superstar. He'll be able to adapt to any climate that we're able to play in," Lyon added.

Lyon sounded hopeful that the home series against India will go ahead, with or without fans.

“I’m excited about the prospect of India coming out to Australia, it’s up there with the biggest series alongside the Ashes. They’re an absolute powerhouse of the cricket world, and to have those guys out here is going to be fantastic,” he said.

“Playing in front of crowds or no crowds is out of our control, we’ve got to follow the advice of all the amazing medical people around the world."

In 2018-19, under Kohli, India became the first Asian team to beat Australia in a Test series. However, with Steve Smith and David Warner returning to the fold, the series is going to be a different challenge for Team India.