Zampa ready for rematch with Kohli

Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa is preparing for a fully-focused Virat Kohli having captured the prize wicket of the Indian captain twice on tour to date.

Zampa is Kohli's sole conqueror on the Qantas Tour of India through three matches, dismissing the master batsman for 24 in the first T20 international in Vizag and then on Saturday for 44 in the opening ODI in Hyderabad. Kohli was undefeated on 72 in the second T20 in Bengaluru.  

The 26-year-old has now dismissed Kohli four times in their 13 meetings in T20 and ODI cricket, twice in each format. It's the batsman Zampa has been most successful against in his 57-match international career, and knows his success against the batting supremo will only make the challenge harder in future bouts, starting tomorrow in Nagpur.

"He's one guy we always spend a little bit of extra time talking about in team meetings," Zampa said on Monday.

"It's good for the confidence, it's exciting to get a player like that out.

"But it's also one of those things where he probably won't want to get out to me again so I don't know if he's going to do a bit more thinking about it.

"I'm going to have to bowl even better this game."

Zampa said the work he's done with former India allrounder and spin coach Sridharan 'Sri' Sriram has contributed to containing Kohli.

Zampa brews his own coffee on tour and it's been a blend of deliveries that has brought success in the subcontinent.

"'Sri' has got the experience here and the knowledge," he said.

"In Australia I tend to bowl a little bit more top-spinners and wrong'uns whereas here I'm probably a bit more out the front, a bit of side spin.

"Sliders with a little bit of leg-spin, I'm finding in the nets it worked.

Image Id: 6082D5E8B597470CBAF8C935D90665BB Image Caption: Kohli falls LBW to Zampa in Bengaluru // Getty

"And I got a wicket like that the other night in the first game – Kohli was the one that went straight on."

Kohli was caught at long-on in the tour-opener in Vizag, miscuing a lofted drive to a ball that went on the with the arm and took the inside portion of his broad bat.

Aaron Finch singled Zampa out for his role in Australia's series-sealing T20I win in Bengaluru, where the South Australian's four overs yielded just 23 runs in a fixture dominated by the batsmen.

He followed his T20 success with 2-49 from 10 overs in the first ODI two days ago, dismissing Kohli with another slider that trapped India skipper and followed it up with a looping leg-break that took the edge of No.4 Ambati Rayudu.

Each surface presents a new challenge and Zampa says he's prepared to adapt his game accordingly. 

"I'm not sure what the wicket will be like here in Nagpur," he said.

"But if we do get on a bouncy wicket I might have to try to adapt to that as well.

"I'm just trying to learn on the road."

Qantas tour of India

First T20: Australia won by three wickets

Second T20: Australia won by seven wickets

First ODI: India won by six wickets

Second ODI: March 5, Nagpur

Third ODI: March 8, Ranchi

Fourth ODI: March 10, Mohali

Fifth ODI: March 13, Delhi