Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, on Friday (March 3) said that the 333-run loss in the first Test of the four-match series provided India with an opportunity to understand where they were lacking and what areas the team needed to work on. When asked on the combination that India were going to play in the second Test in Bangalore, the skipper didn't commit to any on the eve of the match. All that and more from the press conference in Bangalore.
Excerpts:
Importance of restricting Steve Smith
Our focus is not only him. I think the whole team has to play well against Australia to win a Test match. That is something that we have identified. We are not focusing on one player at all. As I said last time, if we don't grab on to our chances, it doesn't matter how many runs someone ends up scoring. Basically, what was in our control, we did not execute that. So we are not focusing on one player only. The whole ten wickets have to be taken twice to win a Test match and that's something that we already know.
Do you think losses like Galle, Pune galvanise the team better?
I think it's an opportunity to understand what other things we still need to work on. We are all professional cricketers, but sometimes when you are winning a lot of games, you don't tend to focus on points that need to be improved as such because someone or the other is stepping up. When the whole team does not execute the things that you want to, you understand the things that you need to work on as a team. That's always a good sign. We got to know a lot more things that we need to still keep working on to be the top side in the world. As I said last time, you can't take anything for granted at any stage of a Test match. It's something that you look as an opportunity to learn rather than a setback. I think these things are also important for your cricket journey.
Is everyone available for selection?
Hardik Pandya is not available for selection. He has a niggle in his shoulder. So yeah, he's not fit to be available for selection. Rest of them are. Combinations, I won't let it out right now but we do have two or three combinations that we are looking at. We'll see what works best for this surface.
How's the morale of the side?
Sometimes such losses are necessary for the team. We have to test a lot of things. We look at it as a chance to improve some of the things that we need to win a Test match. We already know but sometimes you can't do it all. Very rarely does it happen that the full team doesn't contribute, it was one such Test for us. We got to learn a lot from the Test and our intention remains the same that we try and win. I think that's one thing that we have done consistently, it becomes very important to practice consistently to perform consistently. When we win, we have to practice with intensity and even when we lose we have to practice with the same intensity. Basically, seeing the result you can't change the way you practice.
Steve Smith suggests you will be under pressure...
Me? Does it look like? I'm pretty relaxed, I'm happy, I'm smiling. It's fine. It's his view, whatever he wants to say.
Thoughts on having to face Starc on this pitch?
I don't think there is going to be any extra variation added to his bowling suddenly. He is the bowler he is. We've got to accept that and we've got to face him the best way possible that we can as batsmen. That's all we look at. We're not looking too much into it. I think it's time to focus on our skills rather than what Australia is saying or preparing like. I know these mind-games, and these press conferences are something they're very good at. We're still going to play the cricket that we played in the last two years and see where the series ends in the fourth game.
Disappointed that after winning so many Tests and after one defeat people start criticising you?
I felt this sort of strange energy that some people were quite excited about the fact that they had something to write about the team after two years. Yeah, the pitch came into contention and the players' mindset and skills and pressure and whatnot, everything came into contention. It's fine, some people would have made more out of their jobs in those few days, I guess. Us as a team, we never got excited by praise, we don't focus on criticism either. What we focus on is what we think of each other as individuals in the change room and the respect that we maintain there. We take losses together, we take wins together and that's how we move forward as a team. That's one reason that we ended up having that streak, which we didn't expect honestly. It became a streak eventually. Our focus was to win games, every game that we play. And the focus remains the same, it doesn't matter whether we lose or we win, it's the way we play. Last game was a disappointment in the way we played, it wasn't more about the result - we've lost before, but we've lost fighting hard. But when you don't have enough intent during the game, that's when it hurts you. I think that's all that we made of it. The comments or headlines don't matter to us, they never have and we don't base our cricket on that.
You lost from a winning position in Galle. How inspiring is that example?
You look at the situation differently. It's similar to when you go into bat or bowl. You try to break a partnership by taking three wickets in a spell. You perceive the situation differently than other guys in the field and that's where you can make a difference. Similarly with batting, a situation might look difficult but if you believe that you can win from there, things start happening. We have more belief and more experience in the team right now than we did back then (Galle). I can assure you that everyone's taking this as a massive challenge. Everyone's raring to turn things around in the series and play the kind of cricket we know we can play, not take a backward step at any stage.
Long time since India lost. Have the players been sharper in training?
We don't necessarily push people to practise in different ways because every individual has his own way of preparing for the game. But in terms of mindset we have made a conscious push to go out there and express ourselves without thinking what if. Individuals want to play their natural game they should; they want to bowl a certain way and they should, not thinking about the outcome necessarily. There won't be any hesitation from here on till the end of the series from our side. That's something we've addressed. Practice has always been similar, win or lose. That's how you become consistent as a team, when you repeat the same things day in and day out. We have a set pattern of practise we always execute before every Test match and this time is no different. When you lose because of lack of intent, those things need to be addressed and we've done that.
Jayant Yadav to be replaced by Kuldeep? And Ishant to be replaced by Bhuvi?
These are perceptions. We have our ideas; we will go in with the best combination possible. Jayant has been outstanding. You can't put too much pressure on a guy who's played just one series. He's been brilliant so far; the way he's grabbed his spot has been outstanding. He's a very intelligent cricketer. All of us go through the grind. We have good games, bad games, off days as well. Pune wasn't his best game. I won't sit here and judge him because he's played only a few games but he knows how to turn things around and get back into that mindset he started his first series with. I'm sure he'll get back into that zone. As far as the combinations are concerned, we are studying a lot of options. Eventually we'll come to a conclusion thisevening...on what is the XI we want to go with. But yes, all kinds of possibilities tomorrow...might be a few surprises.
When do you decide?
We have a combination that we think of. And then we take a couple of days to convince ourselves. Finally if everyone's on the same page then you go ahead with the combination. More often than not, that ends up being the case. We all agree on the same XI. We're almost there. We will be there in a couple of hours.
Nature of the wicket?
I've played a lot of games here; I don't think the wicket has changed over the years at all. It looks like a typical Bangalore wicket. There's no surprises about the wicket. Whenever we've played Test cricket here we've done really well. We take all those things into account and we always play well at this stadium. The last time we played here against Australia, we won. Those things are big positives for us. We know exactly how the wicket plays. We know exactly what to do.
Combination - five bowlers?
We're studying a lot of options. I can't say whether five bowlers will play or four will play or how many batsmen will play. That should be left up to the team management to decide. I don't want to say something here only for us to end up playing someone else. Then you guys will rip me apart in the next PC. Why give you the pleasure?
Raat gayi, baat gayi. Importance offorgetting the pas and moving on?
It's very important, sir. Obviously you will want to forget a bad result but it's important that you take it to heart. It's important that you learn from it. If you ignore it then you can't improve. It's important to accept that we lost the Test match because of a lack of intent and because the other team played better cricket than us. If your ego is hurt and you ignore it then that thing piles on. We know we didn't play well and Australia did; that doesn't mean that will happen in every Test match. If you play well every day, every session, then you will win the Test match. We didn't do that. You will not get to see a performance like that again; that I can assure you
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