World Cup 2019: "Virat knows he’s there to score runs for India, while I’m here to get him out," says Moeen Ali

What's the story?

English all-rounder Moeen Ali was interviewed by The Guardian ahead of his team's match against title contenders India this Sunday. The all-rounder revealed the reasons behind the team's loss against Australia.

The background

Moeen Ali has troubled the Indian batsmen a lot with his off-spin in English conditions. The Indian batsmen, who are known to be fine players of spin, have surprisingly not been able to counter Ali. In the previous ODI series played between India and England, Ali was able to pick the wicket of Virat Kohli in the 2nd ODI played at Lord's. Ali was also a part of Virat Kohli's team Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2018 and 2019.

The heart of the matter

During his interview, Ali heaped praises on the Indian skipper saying that he is a motivated, driven and dedicated cricketer. He revealed that he knows Kohli from his under-19 days and that he is a very chilled guy outside the cricket field. Ali even compared his IPL friendship with Kohli to the one between Jonny Bairstow and David Warner.

Shifting his focus to the mega match set to take place this Sunday, the offie said -

"Virat knows he’s there to score runs for India, while I’m here to get him out (or score some myself). It means a lot to get a player like him out but you can be still be friends trying to do it. I grew up playing against friends and cousins in the park and it was some of the most competitive cricket I have played. The key here is respect."

Moeen Ali spoke about Yuzvendra Chahal's humorous side during the IPL season while also saying they will face him with a positive mindset at Edgbaston.

The Englishman accepted that Australia outplayed them at Lord's but he felt that they had no chance of losing the game against Sri Lanka.