XtraTime Web Desk – The Indian team captain is very happy with the kind of performance T. Natarajan is putting up. The left arm seamer was probably the best white ball bowler for team India during the ODI and T20 series.
While speaking about T. Natarajan, the captain said, “In the absence of Shami and Bumrah, he has stood up and delivered under pressure, which is outstanding for the fact that he’s playing first few games at the international level”.
Virat added, “He’s very composed. He’s very sure what he wants to do. Very hardworking and humble guy and you feel happy for the guys who are committed and working hard for the team and getting the result and make the team win. I hope he keeps working hard and get the result because a left arm seamer is always a asset to a team. If he can bowl that well and consistently, I think he’ll be an asset to us in the World Cup next year”.
Regarding his batting form and his performance in white ball cricket, Virat said, “Tonight I felt particularly good. I think I’m in the right head space. It was a bit scratchy in the first ODI, I addressed few things and worked on few aspects of my game that I wanted to. Purely to get into a proper headspace because I’ve been thinking of too many techniques. I needed a good headspace because they I can switch between all formats and adjust according to the condition and I felt pretty balanced and good going forward into the test series”.
Speaking about the workload management of all the bowlers before heading towards the test series, Virat said, “We played six games in no time. We all need to address and weary off. We keep communicating with our bowlers asking them how their bodies are feeling. They have been pretty professional and communicating back as to what they need. We have to show absolute trust and faith to their processes to make sure there in the right head space going into the first test match”.
Virat also said that in team India is not focusing on individual performances these days but more on partnerships. “We have taken focus away from the individual performances and that’s why we bounced back. We are more focusing on partnerships and making sure that we bowl well in partnerships, we bat well in partnerships and make impact”.
Virat loved the fact that people are back at the stands. “This is one factor that helped us in difficult situations. When you’ve crowd back and the fans pump you up and boost you. I think it added a benefit and I certainly felt really really good to crowds back in the stadium. That environment again that we have been used to for so many years”.
Team India will struggle a bit to choose the opening pair during the test series. With Rohit Sharma out injured and Mayank Agarwal is the only option, team India is in a bit of trouble. Especially when Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill failed to perform in the practice match. The captain said, “You can’t judge a player by just one tour game. I think you still have to back individuals”.
Virat then addressed about Hardik Pandya, whether or not he can be an asset for India in the test circuit. “Hardik has been outstanding but test cricket needs very different talent. I think he needs to bowl. That’s what we have said him. I think he then becomes that one guy who can bring a lot of balance for us. He’s definetly in that zone where he wants to come out stronger and figure out and iron out all this niggles”.
There was a controversy during the third T20 International between India and Australia. Kohli address that saying, “The LBW was a strange one. We were still discussing whether the ball was going down and within 15 seconds time frame the showed the replay on screen and we decided to go for the review but the umpire said they showed the replay on screen. I had a chat with Rod and asked what we can do in this situation and he said nothing can be done. It is a mistake from the TV. As a management we feel that like this mistake can’t be happening at the highest level in a very important game. It could be very costly.