XtraTime Web Desk: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli accepts the team’s humiliating defeat in the second test against England at Lord’s by an innings and 159 runs but beside that he also feels that it is upon the team to turn things around and get positive for the third game like they were ahead of the first test. Though the team lost the first test by 30 odd runs but they played exceptionally well against England and the team should play the next matches with that belief.
“It’s upon us to turn it around and get positive for the next game and believe that the first game — we lost that by 30 runs — this game we’ve been outplayed. You got to put this behind us and come into the third game as we were in the first game. When the situation arises we’ve got to step up and take control of the situation which we failed so far,” said Kohli at the post match press-conference.
On being asked whether the opening combination is the biggest worry for him, Kohli promptly replied,” Any chances given to the guys at any position, they have to make sure that they step up and grab them. Right now, it’s not purely thinking that the openers haven’t fired or the middle order hasn’t done well, because as a batting unit, we haven’t done well in this game as a whole. It’s very difficult to pinpoint one are. All we have to do is gear up for the next game, come out positive and not think about that I’ve done well, or the openers or the middle order has done well or not. It’s all about making the team win, and doing anything that we can to make that happen.”
Kohli feels that the team’s batsmen including him failed to find a way of countering tough situations till now and that is one of the reason for their failure.” When you start the game, you obviously think positive, you feel like you are ready for the game. Every batsmen thinks that way. It’s when you are out there in the situation that’s tough you have to find ways of countering that situation which I think we have failed to do as a batsmen, myself included in this game,” added Kohli.
Another thing that Kohli mentioned that they failed to build up any kind of partnership which is the basic rule while batting.”We haven’t been able to have partnerships which is the basic rule while batting. We haven’t had any sort of partnerships in this game. Only 50 with Hardik and Ash in this innings. Nothing of any substance before or after that. That is something we really to focus on. Stringing partnerships, making sure we get 60, 70, 80 run partnership and try and build that into a big partnership or have three or four partnerships of 60 or 70 odd and put this team in a strong position.
“I think when you look too far ahead, thinking the score isn’t enough or there are wickets on the board, that can pressurise the batsmen. We are focused on adding five runs at a time and building that partnership slowly. That’s how you come out of a difficult situation. It’s something that you have experienced in the past as well. For that you need to find ways of doing it. There’s no running from it, no hiding from it,” told the India skipper.
Virat batted with a lower back pain in the second Test against England but is confident of regaining full fitness ahead of the next game starting at Nottingham on August 18.
“It is a lower back issue, coming up again and again, purely because of the workload and the number of matches I have been playing,” Kohli said.
“It’s five days to go. I am confident I will be fine in five days’ time with a bit of rehabilitation. I should be okay,” he added.