While the Indian bowlers are performing very well in recent days, the Indian batsmen are fighting to maintain their consistency, especially in Test cricket. Prior to the third Test of the ongoing Australia Test series at Melbourne, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli spoke out that the batsmen need to take more responsibilities to bring the perfect results on the bowlers’ hard efforts.
The four-match Test series is currently standing by 1-1 with two Tests to go. While the third Test of the series is going to begin on Wednesday (December 26) at Melbourne, the Indian skipper calls the batsmen to take more responsibility in the game.
Kohli said, “It is very important for batsmen to stand up, because as everyone can see, our bowling has been performing really well. Otherwise, the bowlers won’t be able to do anything with the totals that we have been compiling.
“If we are batting second, we will try to take the lead or get as close to the opposition total as possible. If you equal a big score, then it becomes a second-innings’ match and if you take a good first-innings lead, then you can capitalize on that.
“The batsmen must step up collectively. I won’t say individually whether someone needs to do that or not, but as a batting unit, we have to definitely put up a better performance.”
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After winning the first Test of the series at Adelaide by 31 runs, India lost the second Test of the series at Perth by 146 runs. However, Kohli said that they are focusing only on the upcoming Tests and there is no significance of the Past results.
Kohli quoted, “As a team, I don’t think whether you are 2-0 up or 2-0 down or 1-1, what’s happened in the past has no significance at all to what’s going to happen in the next two Tests or what’s going to happen in the next Test which is quite immediate.
“The key is to stay in the moment, stay in the present, understand and remember why you won the first Test, which was because of us being in the present moment.”
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Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket-taker in the Test series at present as he has taken 16 wickets in this series with the average of 19.43. As he is bowling superbly in this series, Kohli has admitted that they are making plans to face Lyon.
Kohli said, “Lyon is a very good bowler. He consistently bowls in good areas. So we have to have our plans against such a bowler so that we can also explore scoring options because if he is allowed to bowl at one spot for a long time, he becomes even more dangerous. These things you need to figure out constantly – who is bowling well in a particular series and what your plans should be against him. He has definitely bowled very well from the opposition.”
To achieve success against Lyon, Kohli is insisting to improve their playing skills as well as not making the same mistakes.
Kohli added, “For a spinner to bowl so well in Australia is a huge thing. We are taking it as a challenge, and we definitely want to improve our play against him. We have put in the effort in practice, it now matters who we execute those on the field.
“As I said, if there is a challenge coming your way, you try and counter it. That’s our effort – if we have been dismissed in a particular way, not repeat that mode of dismissal. As cricketers, that is all you can do.”
Last time India played the Melbourne Test in 2014 Boxing Day. It had a draw result where the present Indian skipper Virat Kohli and the present Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane put a 262-run partnership for the fourth wicket in their first innings and both scored the good centuries (169 and 147 runs respectively).
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Seeing the grassier track in the present Melbourne pitch than their 2014 Melbourne Test, Kohli hopes a lively track like the first two Tests.
The Indian captain said, “Last time the pitch played a big part in not being able to have a result either ways, for both sides. But seeing the pitch now, it has much more grass than it had last time and I hope that it is a lively pitch.
“I hope it does as much as it did in the first two games because as a side, you always know that you are in for a result that way. The surface, what I saw yesterday, looked pretty dry underneath. There is a good coverage of grass, which should keep the surface intact.
“I think it should have enough for the bowlers to stay interested on all days of the Test match and hopefully, it’s a much more lively wicket than the last time we played here.”
As the Boxing Day Test is going to begin this Wednesday, Kohli is excited to experience again who has already experienced twice in 2011 and 2014.
He said, “It’s amazing (as an occasion). Obviously, day one is the most anticipated day and we are expecting a lot of people to come in, maybe 80,000-plus. So I have experienced that twice before.
“It’s definitely a magical day to step on the field, the national anthems for both teams, and you can sense the energy in the stadium. For me, that is my most favourite personal moment of the Boxing Day, when the anthems are sung, you are standing on the field and there are so many people around you. Definitely, it is one of the most iconic Test matches and we are very happy to be a part of that.”
