Prior to the first Test of the four-match Test series in the ongoing Australia tour, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli feels that the all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s absence in this series will have an impact.
The first Test is going to be played at Adelaide Oval from this Thursday (December 6). Before this game, Kohli mentioned the pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya as a great luxury in the team. After suffering an acute back injury during the final group stage match against Pakistan at Dubai (DSC) in the Asia Cup 2018 on 19 September 2018, Pandya hasn’t recovered from that injury yet.
Kohli said about the 25-year-old all-rounder, “Losing the all-rounder obviously has an impact. I mean every side would like to have a fast-bowling all-rounder, which we don’t have right now with Hardik (Pandya) injured. That obviously is a great luxury to have for any side.
“We don’t, so we have to go with best possible combination. Again, the workload on guys who will play in the absence of an all-rounder will be high but that is something that has already been discussed.”
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Though most of the Indian bowlers are in-form, the Australian pace and bouncy conditions along with the big boundaries will put them in a new test.
Talking on that matter, Kohli said, “They (bowlers) should look forward to that and not think of it as a burden or something which is going to be tough. Because at the international level, things are tough. So, we will just have to embrace that and make something out of the resources that we have at present and try to put in the performances that the team expects from the players.”
Kohli admitted that Pandya’s absence due to an injury is an issue but it is not a major one.
Kohli quoted on that, “I don’t see it as a major one because in Australia you still have to bowl really well even if you are an all-rounder. To contain the batsmen is always a challenge here.”
Speaking about the bowling attack, Kohli feels that it is a better bowling line-up than their previous Australia tour in 2014/15 summer.
Kohli spoke on this, “This attack is pretty different from what we had when we came here last time. There are more experienced, and the guys are fitter than they were when they came here last time. The key in Australia is to keep bowling in the right areas for longer periods of time and the conditions also become hard.”
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Kohli feels that the middle phase between 20 overs and 45/50 overs is the very crucial phase for the bowlers when the Kookaburra balls don’t work much.
The Indian skipper added, “It can get really hot and the pitches can be flat purely because of the Kookaburra not doing much after 20-odd overs till it reverses around 45-50 (overs). That middle phase is very crucial. We have identified those things and the guys themselves feel that they are at the peak of their skill-level at the moment.
“No one is going out there gunning for a six-wicket haul for himself, if it means bowling eight good overs in a spot and getting a wicket for the team, they are ready to that.
“So, I think that mindset is very crucial and that feedback is coming for the bowlers themselves. It’s not been told to them – they only are talking about it which I think is a very positive sign.”
Last time, when India had a tour in Australia for the Test series, Nathan Lyon finished as the most wicket-taker as he picked up 23 wickets in that four-match Test series. However, Kohli added on his comment that the batsmen are confident enough for this series and focusing to find the ways to play different bowlers accordingly.
Kohli said, “He (Lyon) understands the pace of the wicket, the bounce it’s going to provide him and the where the fielder should be. He hits the bat harder and quicker than any other spinner that I have faced in Australia. You have to at your best against guys like Nathan and their bowling attack.
“We definitely aren’t going to think too much about anyone, but we are also not going to be tentative against anyone. We just have to back our game and show that we are confident of our skill sets and guys have to find ways to play different bowlers accordingly. Some might want to sweep an off-spinner and some might not.
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“So, we just have to figure out our game plans, as I said, adapt quickly, see how the wicket is behaving and find a way to score runs. We just don’t want to stand there and do nothing. You have got to score runs if you want to win Test matches.”
