Virat Kohli wants India to become a champion side. And how? By doing boring things.
“We want to become a champion side. I certainly feel this team has what it takes to be the best. What it requires is sustained concentration, attention to details, and practising the same way every day. You know doing boring things. At this level you need to be very boring in your training, in your practice if you want to succeed. As simple as that,” he said ahead of the first Test against New Zealand starting here on Thursday.
The season, Kohli asserted, would define the future in a big way. “I feel this season is a phase were we can sort of lay a foundation as to where the Test team will go, and where Test cricket will go as far as India is concerned. We have started off very well. This team is full of exciting players.
“The challenge for the last year or so has been to show composure in Test cricket, to get the victories we require and we have been able to do that. This season obviously will be, you can say, career defining for all the people in the squad. Very exciting times I feel.”
He admitted the team would miss Ishant Sharma, but added, “The good thing is that people have stepped up in the past and performed wherever the chance has been given to them.”
Kohli also spoke on the ability to play spin. “It is an area we can improve. The team wants to improve that aspect of our game. It is something we surely need to get stronger at.”
The Indian captain praised New Zealand. “They are a pretty good side. They play good, positive cricket. That is what we have seen in last couple of years. Obviously driven initially by Brendon McCullum, he got in those ideas where they played fearless cricket. One thing that stood out was their mentality that cricket was not the end of the world for them.”
Positive cricketNew Zealand captain Kane Wllliamson agreed. “We want to go out, play positive cricket and enjoy ourselves. India are a very, very good side. We know when we play with passion we give ourselves the best chance of success. They got some very good spinners, very experienced in these conditions.”
The threat lay in spin, said Williamson. “I think spin will be a big part of the series. I think playing positively is important. How our spinners bowl will be important but at the same time we are hoping for a bit of reverse swing. Will have to see how things unfold.
