Kohli says weakened Australia still ‘world-class’

BRISBANE: India captain Virat Kohli insisted on Tuesday Australia have the quality to upset the odds in their Twenty20 series and said his team will be focusing on the “little things” to come out on top.

The visitors open their tour with the first of three T20s in Brisbane on Wednesday ahead of four Tests and three one-dayers that will keep them in Australia until late January.“We definitely have a very strong side,” said Kohli, who last month became the fastest to reach 10,000 runs in one-day internationals, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record.

“When we step on the field we have 11 individuals striving for excellence, they want to be the best they can.”Despite Australia being without Smith and Warner, Kohli is adamant the hosts still pose a big threat.

“There’s no denying the quality they have in their side,” he said.“They still have world-class cricketers, though missing out on two of the world’s best batsmen in not ideal for any team.“But the guys they have, especially in the limited-overs game, can do damage at any point in time.”“We definitely believe we have the quality to win, but it will boil down to how we think in each moment in every game we play,” he added.