India Test captain Virat Kohli addressed the media here in Galle before the start of the first Test. He spoke about the team’s preparations, the permutations-combinations and the brand of cricket that his side would be looking to play come Wednesday.
Excerpts from the interaction:
Any special plans to get Kumar Sangakkara out?
The plan has always been pretty basic. Against good quality players around the world you don’t need to try something out of the box. It is about creating pressure. In the last one-day series we played in India, we had one or two plans against him that worked for us. So it is mostly about having one clear plan. The guys are quite confident about executing those plans. He is someone who scores consistently and can get big runs. It’s his last two games and he would like to leave a very significant mark before he goes. So it will be good to get him out early but its not going to be easy.
On match practice before the Test
We have had five to six days of really good practice. Even yesterday, with whatever we had at the nets, the intensity was up there and the guys prepared really well. The day before the game is always a light session. If someone wants to bowl or have a hit, they can. But unfortunately it rained. But I think we have got decent enough practice going into the Test. The guys are looking in good shape, everyone is mentally fresh. So it is not going to do much difference. I see it as a positive where people will have the time to visualise, relax and prepare for the game with the mental aspect than putting those extra hours in practice.
First series as captain
It is a great opportunity to create some momentum knowing it is a three-match series. Having some plan in mind, having the opportunity and time to execute them. Even if it’s an off-day you still have time to regroup and think about what went wrong. If its a good day you can learn from it, the positives and the areas that need improvement. As a captain you always feel more time with the team, more games to play, better chances of creating an environment that you require the team to be in. I am very excited.
On the consistency factor in the pace department
There is no lacking in the skill department. Where we lacked in Australia was in composure. That's something we spoke about as a squad. I am certain that people want to improve because they know that playing for the country is a privilege that not many get. I am sure they have learnt from it. As a cricketer if you are not able to execute something, there is that ego inside you which says that you need to improve because you are not going to get many chances. So, the guys look pretty hungry and bowling pretty well. Even in the practice game, they bowled consistently on a wicket that was relatively flat in the afternoon sessions. I am happy with what I have seen till now. It can only be analysed further when we have those tough sessions during the Test match when the ball is not doing something and you have to bowl a good line and length. You can see that the kind of times we had in Australia in those sessions where we did leak a few runs, that has hurt them and they want to improve on that which is a great sign.
Added pressure on Saha because of five bowlers?
The basic idea is to take 20 wickets which is the only way you can win a game. The idea of playing five bowlers is pretty clear. Regarding the pressure on Saha or someone like Ashwin, we are looking to cement in the team as an all-rounder rather than a bowler who can bat because he has the ability. The responsibility is on the top five batsmen to score the bulk of the runs so that they can take the pressure of these two. Till the time they feel comfortable and get going in this format. So the responsibility is more on the top five to take on the burden of scoring till the time the guys lower down get more confident. Then you will have a complete batting unit which is ready to go under any situation.
On the Sri Lanka team
They are a very competitive team. They might not be as expressive as some of the other teams in the world but the intent, the kind of aggression they have in their body language is pretty evident. That’s what I have seen over the years that I have played one day cricket against them. That is a team that has obviously wants to do well and wants to win probably every series that they play and you can see that hunger in them. All the established players and even the youngsters they want to come out and perform and do well and keep Sri Lanka right up there in world cricket. That is one team that has really done well as far as playing well against big opponents or playing in big tournaments in the past few years. If you look at all the big tournaments Sri Lanka are always right up there. You might not count them as favourites when the tournament starts but they are always in the semis or the finals. That’s a credit to their attitude and the kind of intensity they bring onto the field.
On the young Test squad and the lack of experience
I feel pretty fortunate to be in such a position because the more you learn by being out there playing a game of cricket or committing mistakes yourself in international cricket you can’t learn that anywhere else. It’s a great opportunity for this great bunch of boys to learn and grow as international cricketers and once you gain that sort of momentum you will see better understanding and better coordination on the field because everyone has gone through the same times together. I see that as a big positive and a big opportunity for all of us to improve massively as test cricketers more importantly. Because we play so much Test cricket and T20s anyway that every member in this squad wants to do well and improve their cricket. So personally I feel it’s a very exciting time and great opportunity for everyone in the squad to learn and improve as test cricketers.
