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'That tour of Australia in 2011-12 was a milestone in my career and a career-changing phase for me. I was a different person and a different character when I left the shores back in 2012. That is something every cricketer should look forward to. I am confident that this team has it in them.'
Virat Kohli addressed the media on the eve of the Indian team's departure for a four-Test series Down Under. Harish Kotian reports.
Virat Kohli is a confident man ahead of his first match as India’s Test captain.
On the eve of the Indian squad’s departure for Australia on Friday, he declared that his players are mentally ready to cope with whatever comes their way Down Under.
Kohli, who will lead the team in the first match of the four-Test series against Australia in Brisbane next month, in place of the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said: “I am very confident of the ability of the side. The kind of composure and character that the guys have in the Test side has shown in the last one month. Everyone is keen to go out there and compete in the playing conditions in Australia and the tough challenge that it brings with it. I am sure everyone is ready for the challenge.
“That tour (Australia in 2011-12) was a milestone in my career and a career-changing phase for me. I was a different person and a different character when I left the shores of Australia back in 2012. That is something every cricketer should look forward to and I am confident that this team has it in them.
“I am glad I have got this opportunity to captain the side. It is like a dream come true for me and, hopefully, we can start on the right note.”
India are going to Australia with a relatively young side. At 33, Dhoni is the senior-most player, but he will join the squad after the first Test, as he is recuperating from a finger injury.
'The last tour to Australia was a strong change'
But Kohli believes that despite the inexperience, the squad is ready to take on the Aussies, who are virtually unbeatable at home, especially against teams from the sub-continent.
Citing his knock of 116 in Adelaide in 2011-12, which helped him seal a Test berth after a few failures, he urged his team mates to learn it.
He ended up with 300 runs in eight innings, at an average of 37, and was India’s top scorer in what was otherwise a disastrous series for the visitors.
“The last tour to Australia was a strong change. I never experienced the aggression and that kind of atmosphere. I will try to impart that experience to other players -- of what to expect and what sort of mindset to go with. Once we go with a negative mindset that will keep catching up. You have to be positive every single day. That is something we will focus on going into this tour.
“The way I batted in the South Africa Tests… personally, it was quite memorable for me. I am hopeful that experience will count. It helps mentally as well because you have performed well in difficult conditions,” he added.
Kohli pointed out that the team is focused on being positive and matching Australia’s aggression.
“India has done that in the past (in Australia) and I see no good reason as to why it can’t happen again. It is all about every guy believing what we want to achieve and having the same kind of mindset. One person not being there at the same level can spread throughout the team. All these guys in the team are of aggressive nature and hungry to go out there and perform and make a name for themselves. That is a great thing to see.
“Hopefully, if we stay on the right page it will be a very exciting tour for us to play and for people to watch also.”
'I don’t see the tour of England or Australia as an Engineering exam'
At the same time, the right-hander called for “caution with aggression”.
“First priority is to be positive and aggressive, and then we dictate terms when we are in a position where we can sort of plan ahead. So the intent has to be positive and aggressive. We obviously will have plan Bs and Cs and what you can fall back on, but those are things, again, when it will happen, we will encounter that accordingly. First thought should be about being in a positive mindset.”
Asked to comment on India’s poor record away from home in the last few years, which includes the 0-4 whitewash in Australia in 2011-12, Kohli replied: “I don’t think the team has ever out-rightly promised anything to anyone.
"These issues are created by people who are asking questions whether we will be able to live up to expectations, whether we will be able to perform up to a level of capability. As a cricketer, I don’t see the tour of England or Australia as an Engineering exam, that if I fail I am not going to do anything in life. It is just another game of cricket that you play whether it is Australia, England or India or South Africa. At the end of the day you want to go out there, bat your best, bowl your best and win the game.
“Your comfort zone, which is obviously playing in the sub-continent, is another feel-good factor. Judgments and opinions… it is for others to take care of. We just want to play good cricket.
“Right now, the mood in the team is very positive; we are focusing on being aggressive and having that mindset throughout as a habit rather than fading out in six months’ time.”
For the first time in ages, India have a pace battery which should match Australia’s for speed. Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami are capable of bowling in the high 140s and expected to make most of the bouncy tracks Down Under.
“It’s an advantage when you have four bowlers who can bowl 140-plus, because then you can compete on those pitches, because you expect them to back their strength. So even if you have that firepower, you can compete and strategise and plan accordingly.
“That, I think, for a captain is a blessing, because you have two bowlers up front – one [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] who can swing the ball and one who is bowling 140; and then you have two more coming in who can also bowl at 140-plus for those other two spells. So the batsman is never sure about going after the bowlers and that’s exactly what you want – control the game as much as you want.
“That will be possible, as you said, with guys bowling at speed and getting bounce on those wickets; it’s a great thing for Indian cricket. It’s gonna be a massive factor in Australia.”
India has a 19-member squad for the first Test and 18 for the rest of the series, with replacement wicketkeeper Naman Ojha returning and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni expected to join the team ahead of the second Test.
'It will definitely help us during the World Cup'
Kohli sees no problem managing such a large group.
“First things first. We need to figure the best combination for the Test series. Test cricket is about sticking to a particular combination and giving those players confidence throughout the series. It is very important not to let them feel that they are replacements, sitting there to replace someone. You need to give them confidence to find out the right combination, as you mentioned, plus we can’t go there with the mindset of going out there and then thinking we will see what happens.
“You have to think of winning every single minute of the day, before the tour and after going there also. That’s how you will compete with a team like Australia and actually have good chances of beating them on their home ground.”
Kohli stressed that the team is not looking forward to the World Cup at this point despite playing Down Under.
“It will definitely help us during the World Cup. However, right now our focus is only on the Test series. We will think about the World Cup at the time of the tri-series. But, obviously, playing in a place where the World Cup is going to be held in a few months’ time will definitely be helpful. We can plan for the World Cup better and this is like a blessing that we will get a chance to prepare better for it.
“We will not be surprised when we go to the World Cup as to the kind of wickets we will get. It is a very good thing for us.”