India captain Virat Kohli on Monday said that his team was looking to right the wrongs from the last two tours Down Under.
The visitors managed to seal a thrilling 31-run win over Australia in the first Test in Adelaide to go 1-0 up in the four-match series.
“As a team, we are looking to correct the things that have haven’t gone right in the last two tours,” Kohli said. “Our focus is purely on our us.”
Four years ago, India crashed to a heartbreaking defeat at Adelaide despite Kohli scoring twin hundreds in the match. The 30-year-old admitted that there was something unique about the South Australia capital.
“I love coming here. There is something about the city. Coming to Adelaide, I feel different and it is the case with every cricketer – they have a favourite ground away from home and for me Adelaide is always special. I scored my first hundred here. The pitch has been redone. It is about which team plays better,” Kohli said.
Even before the start of the series, there was talk about Australia’s batting order being significantly weak with the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner, who continue to serve bans following the ball-tampering scandal.
“I personally don’t think any Australian side is vulnerable at home,” Kohli said. “We do not take any side for granted and more so Australia in Australia.
“Irrespective of what has happened, the skill level is still there. So you have to respect that.
“No matter what you say, it’s the skill levels that matters and I think they have that to dominate at home and we have to be competitive at home and are not taking anything for granted.
“We expect to play in a certain manner and are focussed on the things that we need to do right.”
Absence of Hardik and bowlers’ mindset
Kohli hailed his team’s bowling attack, which is widely regarded as India’s best pacer battery of all time.
“The Kookaburra [ball] swings for 20-odd overs and then starts doing things around 45-50,” he said. “We’ve identified those things and the guys are also up for the challenge.
“We are also not looking for ideal bowling or batting conditions. The bowlers are in a mindset where they are doing what the team wants at the end of the day.
“Nobody is looking for a six-wicket haul themselves but if they bowl eight good overs. The mindset is very important.”
India’s batting, though, still left a lot to be desired collapses in both innings, a fact that Kohli admitted.
“We need to step up as a batting group – we know that,” he said. “Our collective performance should go up on a regular basis and not just one Test match. That is a challenge we are looking forward to.”
In the absence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Kohli admitted that the responsibility is on the four bowlers – three pacers and one spinner – to do the job for India. “Every side would like to have a fast bowling all-rounder. We do not have that with Hardik injured.
“That is obviously a great luxury to have in any side. The workload of the guys who will replace that – we have told them to not think of it as a burden.
“It is something that is going to be tough. Losing Hardik is bit of an issue but not a major one because to win in Australia, you still have to bowl really well.”
The opening Test witnessed plenty of words exchanged between the two teams, like it has always been in the past. The India captain insisted that exchanges will be strictly tongue-in cheek during this series.
“Both teams have crossed the line in the past,” he said. We don’t expect the bowlers to come in, bowl, and walk back.
“There are times when you have to put the batsmen under pressure; just getting into their heads.
“It is going to be there but not like the past as eventually you want to get batsmen out. A little bit of banter is not harmful.”
