On Justin Langer 50th birthday, a look at times he praised Virat Kohli and Co

Langer has lavished praise on Team India ahead of this year’s showdown. The coach said that Australia have an "enormous" respect for Team India.

He specifically praised Cheteshwar Pujara. "He certainly had a very strong series, that’s for sure. But we have come a long way since that summer and improved as a side across the board. He, like all the batsmen, will pose challenges so we just have to back ourselves and be ready. We have enormous respect for the Indian cricket team and never underestimate any of their players. Like always we will be well prepared and do our best to compete strongly against our respected opponent," Justin Langer told Sportstar.

Langer also added that the Virat Kohli-led team that toured Australia for the 2018-19 was one of the toughest he has ever seen. 

"The entire team has grown as a unit including David and Steve. It was a difficult summer 18 months ago against a very impressive side which I still rate as one of the toughest I have seen. We learnt some lessons along the way. I always enjoy seeing the best of the best going against each other and in a series like Australia versus India, there will be many great players who will put on a show. Virat (Kohli) versus Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and David Warner vs Jasprit (Bumrah). It’s a tantalising prospect for any cricket lover," Justin Langer said.

Justin Langer tried to draw the positives after his team suffered an ODI series defeat against India in January 2019. The visiting side had registered their first ever bilateral ODI series win on the Australian soil. 

The chief architect of India’s win was MS Dhoni as hit three fifties in three matches and ensured that his team prevailed on two occasions.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was prasied by the Aussie coach and called a great cricketer. "He (Dhoni) is 37 years old. His running between the wickets is elite, and his fitness is elite. For him to run between the wickets for three days in a row, it was 40 degrees the other day, and play like that, he is a superstar of the game and that’s what Australians should be aspiring to be — superstars of the game," Langer had told in the post-match press conference.

"MS Dhoni, like Virat Kohli, like Cheteshwar Pujara in the Test series, they give us really great role models. MS Dhoni, his record, everything speaks for itself as a captain, batsman, wicketkeeper. He is literally an all-time great of the game and it has been, as hard as it is to lose, a privilege to play against those guys," he added further.

Langer has time and again praised the legendary Virat Kohli. Now yet again, Langer lavished praise on the Indian skipper.

In his recent statement before the series Dowen Under, the former said Kohli is "probably the best player" he has seen in his life.

"Virat Kohli is probably the best player I've ever seen in my life for so many reasons, not only batting but his energy and passion for the game, the way he fields," Langer told reporters on Friday via video conference.

Langer had also said that Team India will surely miss Kohli's presence in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he also acknowledged their strength.

"Of course it will have an impact (his absence), but we also know that India beat us last time (in 2018-19). They're a very, very good team, we cannot get complacent for a second with or without Virat," he added.

In January 2019, Langer had highly praised the Test specialist Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara. He said that his patience is high and can beat even the great Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

It was when India had won their historic first ever Test series on the Australian soil (by the 2-1 margin in four matches), Cheteshwar Pujara played the major role. He won the Player of the Series award after finishing the series as the leading run-scorer by scoring 521 runs with the average of 74.42.

Langer said, "I have never seen a batsman watch the ball as closely as he (Pujara) does, and that includes Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. His concentration was a challenge. And we have to keep getting better just like him, all our batsmen and bowlers."

Justin Langer in 2019 had compared Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar and said the India captain’s balance while playing 360-degree shots in all formats of the game is "unbelievable". 

"I would like to have them both in my team. Sachin was an incredible cricketer. I used to watch him and it was like he was meditating. He was so calm and that’s why his record is peerless," Langer had said after Australia’s six-wicket loss in the second ODI in Adelaide.

"Virat is doing the same thing. He is so calm and so competitive, and technically his balance is unbelievable. For him to play 360-degree shots in all formats of the game, his balance is unbelievable."

Langer even said that it was a blessing for the young Australian cricketers to play against class players like Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"He (Kohli) is a great competitor and his concentration is extraordinary and for someone to make so many runs as he has it is incredible like all the great players," he said. "Sachin and Virat, and MS Dhoni, who averages 50-plus in 340 games, they are all-time great players and our guys are in the best seats at the moment, playing some of the best all-time great ODI players and they will be better from the experience," Langer added.

"We were playing against three all-time great one-day international players (also referring to Rohit Sharma at the SCG). We saw it in the first one, and class always come to the top, and we have seen that with India so we must respect that," he said.