The first few matches of the ICC Champions Trophy have witnessed high scores with individual centuries being registered in every game. In the washed-out match between New Zealand and Australia, Kane Williamson scored a fantastic ton.
India captain Virat Kohli, who followed the match on TV, felt that the ongoing tournament will witness high scores and teams will have a tough ask defending totals. “I don't think in shorter-format cricket any total is safe in this day and age. In series against England, we chased down 350 (after being) 60 for 4, those kinds of situations you could not think of before, (as) 300 was a competitive total. Some people, if they have a good day, a couple of batsmen, they can chase down anything. So, all you must do is, even if you get 260, 270 or you get 350, you still have to bowl and defend it or you have to bat well and chase the totals down.”
With India having a tremendous bowling firepower to complement their rich batting reserve, Virat was satisfied with the team’s balance. In the two warm-up games prior to India’s blockbuster contest against Pakistan on Sunday, India shot down New Zealand and Bangladesh for 189 and 84 respectively. “Everyone is bowling really well. The team looks really balanced. We're feeling really confident as a team. And that's showing how we're playing in the warm-up games. The intensity was right up there, and that's something that was really nice to see for me as a captain. It's a good headache to have. Until I see the wicket, we can't really comment on who is going to play and what the combination is going to be like, but, yeah, everyone's fit and ready to go.”
As he has mentioned in the past, Virat reiterated that India’s process won’t change just because they are playing against their traditional rivals. “Nothing different, to be honest. I know it sounds pretty boring, but this is exactly what we feel as cricketers. We're not saying anything different to what we feel. And for us it's a matter of executing what we know best regardless of who we are playing against. And I'm sure every team thinks like that.
“So, in a tournament like this, you can't pick and choose, and in general cricketers don't pick and choose. We prepare the same way and we take the same mindset into every game that we play for India. And as I've said before, you need to be 100 percent motivated playing for the country regardless of who you're playing with. So yeah, the mindset does not change.”
He added that having MS Dhoni in the side was a huge plus as Dhoni’s trained eyes pick minor things that others don’t notice. “It's priceless to have his thoughts and views on different situations. And things that he picks up are really minor, but they make a massive difference in the course of the game or tournament. Identifying who is probably in a better mindset to do a certain job is something that he's always been a master at, and I keep seeking his advice every now and then to make sure that what I'm thinking is on the right path."
