Priceless To Have Ashwin in Test Team Virat Kohli
After a thumping victory over New Zealand in the first Test in Kanpur, Indian captain Virat Kohli shared his thoughts on the Ravichandran Ashwin-Ravindra Jadeja pairing, the joy of captaining the Test side, India's psychological edge over New Zealand, Cheteshwar Pujara's resurgence since an ordinary tour of West Indies and more.
He's been outstanding for the Indian team. If you see all the impact players in the world, he comes in the top three-four easily. There are quite a few players making big impact for their respective sides, especially bowlers. Bowlers are the one, I feel, that win you Test matches and Ashwin is one of them. The rankings, I'm not a big fan of, suggest that Ashwin is the best at the moment. There's no doubt that he's been bowling wonderfully well for the last couple of years. He works very hard on his game.
He's a very keen thinker of the game. He likes to talk cricket. He understands the game very well. (He is a) very smart cricketer, very intelligent. That shows in his batting as well. He understands the situation and plays accordingly. He knows when to get runs and when to play the situation out accordingly. So, it's priceless to have a cricketer like Ashwin in your Test team. He gives balance with both bat and ball. I would wish him all the best that he keeps nurturing his skill so that we can keep dominating Test matches and keep winning Test matches as much as we can.
Worried about how things were going today morning?
It wasn't much of a concern because the reason we scored the extra 30-40 runs was because we could bat them out of the game. That's exactly what we planned to do. A target of 430 on the fifth-day wicket - fourth day one session and a fifth-day wicket - is very very hard to get. All your batsmen right till No. 10 have to bat really, really well. So we knew that it was a matter of being patient. It's a good lesson for us, good learning. We spoke about getting the six wickets in the morning but more importantly to remember how you do it. Because, when the situation is not so easy, when a partnership is going..obviously teams are going to resist you. You're playing against world class sides. It's Test cricket at the highest level, so people are going to get partnerships. The only thing we collectively decided was that we will take a learning out of this. There will be runs scored, there will be partnerships but it is how we come back that will define our character.
Going through a difficult situation is very important for us to become better players. So that's something all these bowlers are ready and up for. Yeah it is always challenging when two batsmen score runs. What I've learnt in few matches that I have been captain is that you have to have patience. If you get over-excited or keep on bowling in one mould, then the game can quickly slip away. We had the luxury of having many runs today but in future if you might have a target of 300, so you need to be more smarter in those situations.
On the chances of New Zealand batting out the day?
Having batted on that wicket, all the batsmen will vouch for the fact that you could not have defended you way out of the game. On a wicket that spins and bounces, you need to put the bowler under pressure. It is not just about releasing your own pressure, but its more to put bowler under pressure and disrupting his lines and lengths. That's a strategy all batsmen will use on a wicket like this. It's very similar to a seaming wicket as well. Whenever you get the opportunity you want to get a boundary and put the bowler under pressure that he cannot make a mistake. We knew that it was impossible for them to be defending all day and we knew that the one odd chance will come. That's all you look forward to. You have to be optimistic and have to be positive in that particular phase when a partnership is going.
Four bowlers strategy driven by confidence in Ashwin?
Well, obviously if you have a bowler of his quality, alongwith with Jadeja who is so accurate... Kolkata might not be as slow or turn as much as Kanpur did. We know Kolkata is a much better batting wicket, so we can afford to maybe play an extra bowler there, you never know. But a place where it will help the two quality spinners that we have, and reverse swing coming into play as well - you know two crucial wickets by (Mohammed) Shami in the second innings, first breakthrough by Umesh (Yadav) in the first - it makes a massive difference. Those things also are very important moments in the game.
You obviously have to strengthen your batting on a wicket that might go 50-50. You never know, the game can slip away very quickly. And the extra batsman helped, I mean, Rohit (Sharma) got runs in the second innings, pretty solid with Jadeja. Both were able to play positively, and gave us an hour extra to bowl at them. Maybe we would have otherwise declared with our tailenders batting one hour after Tea. But, that gave us the whole session yesterday and we got four wickets. So that makes quite a bit of difference. Again, having intelligent people in the change room obviously helps you make better decisions as you go on. You understand the game much more, you understand the combinations much better and you can afford to take smart decisions according to the wicket that you're playing on.
Do you now have a psychological advantage over New Zealand now?
When any side comes to India, there is obviously talk of conditions and the spinners coming into play. We, as a side, look to win every game that we play, whether we're playing at home or away. That's the kind of cricket that we want to play. But yes, I mean, when we tour, we know that if you're 1-0 down after the first game, things keep getting more difficult from then on, just in terms of your recovery, preparation, the mental side of going into the next game. So, the first game of the series is very important, any series that you play - whether at home or away. Whoever has the first advantage over the other team, they will go into the second Test feeling more confident for sure. But it doesn't mean that you can take things for granted, because we know that we're playing a quality side. For them to show the resilience and the character that they did over the five days of this game, we know that we cannot afford to be relaxed at any stage. We took a lesson (from this game) - we got relaxed in phases in this game and they capitalised, they were on the mark throughout the game.
Credit goes to them. They are a team that works really hard, I know that for a fact. They are very smart about their cricket and they believe in their abilities and that shows on the field. So we do take an advantage in the second game, but we're taking nothing for granted.
Did forecast of rain play at the back of your mind?
It's been a pattern in the past where we've focussed too much on the rain and we haven't focussed on the game that much and we've lost Test matches. I remember one instance in Durban where we kept thinking it's overcast and it might rain anytime, but it didn't and we just lost focus on the game. Steyn came in and bowled a spell of five wickets and we lost the Test. We were in a very good position. So we have stopped focussing on those things, we play according to how the game is going and not how the conditions will turn out. Because that is not in our control, we can't change plans according to what's going to happen, whether it will happen or not. Two days back, there was a forecast of it being partly sunny, partly cloudy and it rained for two hours. You can never predict those things. Today as well, it was cloudy in the morning but our focus was just to get those six wickets and not to worry about the rain. If it happens it happens, it's not in our control. But we want to focus on what we can do on the field and look to execute that to the best of our abilities.
How much do you captain Ashwin-Jadeja?
I like the fact that at times when they feel like we are trying too much as a team, both of them can come back to you and say that 'I'm trying to bowl to this one plan and let's see how that goes'. As a captain it always gives you more assurance that both these guys obviously know what they are doing and they are going to pitch the ball in the right areas. But at times when they are tired, when they are not able to think as clearly - everyone needs suggestions, everyone needs a chat every now and then.
Same with batters, same with bowlers. It doesn't matter how good a skill you have or how much you've played, you still need that reassurance at times, especially during the game. Because that's when a session can quickly go away from you. It's the right balance. Both of them are pretty open to hearing suggestions, but when they feel like they are very convinced about what they want to do, they tell you that. And I personally like that as a captain as well.
Thoughts on Cheteshwar Pujara?
In West Indies, what we spoke about was the need for... he is someone who absorbs the pressure really well but after a certain stage in the innings there comes a time when the team needs runs. That's where we felt that he has the ability to capitalise. It was just about conveying that to him. He has worked hard on his game. He scored at a good strike rate in the Duleep trophy. Even on this wicket, he was scoring at 65, almost 70 strike rate. For me it was a revelation, to see Pujara bat that way, because he used to bat that way initially. Especially at home. If you see his double hundreds against England and Australia, he will dominate spinners. That's exactly what we wanted him to do. We didn't want him to go into a shell. We want Pujara to bat to his potential. Once he starts scoring runs to go with the composure he already has, it becomes very difficult for the opposition to have control of the game. That's all we wanted to convey to him. He's someone who understands what the team wants. He has worked hard on his game. He has come back and he is playing more positively, which we appreciate as a team and me personally as a captain. He has actually gone and worked hard on his game. He has not told us this is my comfort zone and I am not going to get out of it. That is the kind of characters we need to win games and series.
How do you handle Jadeja and Ashwin?
I am not a senior member of the team to be handling anyone on the field. What I think is, if you have honesty in the change room, if you have an environment that is relaxed, they will be able to express themselves better on the field. They will understand, they will listen to you. They will have the trust. They trust you are not saying anything that will harm them. It's only for the benefit of the whole team. Once you have that environment in the change room, it becomes very easy as a captain to ask anything of any player. And everyone is ready all the time.
One thing we have spoken about is we want to play a certain brand of cricket. Along those lines, personal performances will happen or won't happen. If they happen, yes you feel good about them, but the eventual target is to win games and win series. We want to be a high-quality team for a long time. It's just to get them rid of those pressures of individual performances. That I think is key. Once you take pressures of your own performance things can flip very quickly. You will not be able to play the way the team wants you to play. And you will not be able to perform on a personal level as well. If you think about what the team wants, how the team wants you to play, you will end up doing special things for the team. Something I have experienced, these guys have experienced. That's something everything believes in and has bought into.
Excerpts from the press conference held on Monday (September 26):
Is Ravichandran Ashwin the most valuable cricketer in Tests right now?
He's been outstanding for the Indian team. If you see all the impact players in the world, he comes in the top three-four easily. There are quite a few players making big impact for their respective sides, especially bowlers. Bowlers are the one, I feel, that win you Test matches and Ashwin is one of them. The rankings, I'm not a big fan of, suggest that Ashwin is the best at the moment. There's no doubt that he's been bowling wonderfully well for the last couple of years. He works very hard on his game.
He's a very keen thinker of the game. He likes to talk cricket. He understands the game very well. (He is a) very smart cricketer, very intelligent. That shows in his batting as well. He understands the situation and plays accordingly. He knows when to get runs and when to play the situation out accordingly. So, it's priceless to have a cricketer like Ashwin in your Test team. He gives balance with both bat and ball. I would wish him all the best that he keeps nurturing his skill so that we can keep dominating Test matches and keep winning Test matches as much as we can.
Worried about how things were going today morning?
It wasn't much of a concern because the reason we scored the extra 30-40 runs was because we could bat them out of the game. That's exactly what we planned to do. A target of 430 on the fifth-day wicket - fourth day one session and a fifth-day wicket - is very very hard to get. All your batsmen right till No. 10 have to bat really, really well. So we knew that it was a matter of being patient. It's a good lesson for us, good learning. We spoke about getting the six wickets in the morning but more importantly to remember how you do it. Because, when the situation is not so easy, when a partnership is going..obviously teams are going to resist you. You're playing against world class sides. It's Test cricket at the highest level, so people are going to get partnerships. The only thing we collectively decided was that we will take a learning out of this. There will be runs scored, there will be partnerships but it is how we come back that will define our character.
Going through a difficult situation is very important for us to become better players. So that's something all these bowlers are ready and up for. Yeah it is always challenging when two batsmen score runs. What I've learnt in few matches that I have been captain is that you have to have patience. If you get over-excited or keep on bowling in one mould, then the game can quickly slip away. We had the luxury of having many runs today but in future if you might have a target of 300, so you need to be more smarter in those situations.
On the chances of New Zealand batting out the day?
Having batted on that wicket, all the batsmen will vouch for the fact that you could not have defended you way out of the game. On a wicket that spins and bounces, you need to put the bowler under pressure. It is not just about releasing your own pressure, but its more to put bowler under pressure and disrupting his lines and lengths. That's a strategy all batsmen will use on a wicket like this. It's very similar to a seaming wicket as well. Whenever you get the opportunity you want to get a boundary and put the bowler under pressure that he cannot make a mistake. We knew that it was impossible for them to be defending all day and we knew that the one odd chance will come. That's all you look forward to. You have to be optimistic and have to be positive in that particular phase when a partnership is going.
Four bowlers strategy driven by confidence in Ashwin?
Well, obviously if you have a bowler of his quality, alongwith with Jadeja who is so accurate... Kolkata might not be as slow or turn as much as Kanpur did. We know Kolkata is a much better batting wicket, so we can afford to maybe play an extra bowler there, you never know. But a place where it will help the two quality spinners that we have, and reverse swing coming into play as well - you know two crucial wickets by (Mohammed) Shami in the second innings, first breakthrough by Umesh (Yadav) in the first - it makes a massive difference. Those things also are very important moments in the game.
You obviously have to strengthen your batting on a wicket that might go 50-50. You never know, the game can slip away very quickly. And the extra batsman helped, I mean, Rohit (Sharma) got runs in the second innings, pretty solid with Jadeja. Both were able to play positively, and gave us an hour extra to bowl at them. Maybe we would have otherwise declared with our tailenders batting one hour after Tea. But, that gave us the whole session yesterday and we got four wickets. So that makes quite a bit of difference. Again, having intelligent people in the change room obviously helps you make better decisions as you go on. You understand the game much more, you understand the combinations much better and you can afford to take smart decisions according to the wicket that you're playing on.
Do you now have a psychological advantage over New Zealand now?
When any side comes to India, there is obviously talk of conditions and the spinners coming into play. We, as a side, look to win every game that we play, whether we're playing at home or away. That's the kind of cricket that we want to play. But yes, I mean, when we tour, we know that if you're 1-0 down after the first game, things keep getting more difficult from then on, just in terms of your recovery, preparation, the mental side of going into the next game. So, the first game of the series is very important, any series that you play - whether at home or away. Whoever has the first advantage over the other team, they will go into the second Test feeling more confident for sure. But it doesn't mean that you can take things for granted, because we know that we're playing a quality side. For them to show the resilience and the character that they did over the five days of this game, we know that we cannot afford to be relaxed at any stage. We took a lesson (from this game) - we got relaxed in phases in this game and they capitalised, they were on the mark throughout the game.
Credit goes to them. They are a team that works really hard, I know that for a fact. They are very smart about their cricket and they believe in their abilities and that shows on the field. So we do take an advantage in the second game, but we're taking nothing for granted.
Did forecast of rain play at the back of your mind?
It's been a pattern in the past where we've focussed too much on the rain and we haven't focussed on the game that much and we've lost Test matches. I remember one instance in Durban where we kept thinking it's overcast and it might rain anytime, but it didn't and we just lost focus on the game. Steyn came in and bowled a spell of five wickets and we lost the Test. We were in a very good position. So we have stopped focussing on those things, we play according to how the game is going and not how the conditions will turn out. Because that is not in our control, we can't change plans according to what's going to happen, whether it will happen or not. Two days back, there was a forecast of it being partly sunny, partly cloudy and it rained for two hours. You can never predict those things. Today as well, it was cloudy in the morning but our focus was just to get those six wickets and not to worry about the rain. If it happens it happens, it's not in our control. But we want to focus on what we can do on the field and look to execute that to the best of our abilities.
How much do you captain Ashwin-Jadeja?
I like the fact that at times when they feel like we are trying too much as a team, both of them can come back to you and say that 'I'm trying to bowl to this one plan and let's see how that goes'. As a captain it always gives you more assurance that both these guys obviously know what they are doing and they are going to pitch the ball in the right areas. But at times when they are tired, when they are not able to think as clearly - everyone needs suggestions, everyone needs a chat every now and then.
Same with batters, same with bowlers. It doesn't matter how good a skill you have or how much you've played, you still need that reassurance at times, especially during the game. Because that's when a session can quickly go away from you. It's the right balance. Both of them are pretty open to hearing suggestions, but when they feel like they are very convinced about what they want to do, they tell you that. And I personally like that as a captain as well.
Thoughts on Cheteshwar Pujara?
In West Indies, what we spoke about was the need for... he is someone who absorbs the pressure really well but after a certain stage in the innings there comes a time when the team needs runs. That's where we felt that he has the ability to capitalise. It was just about conveying that to him. He has worked hard on his game. He scored at a good strike rate in the Duleep trophy. Even on this wicket, he was scoring at 65, almost 70 strike rate. For me it was a revelation, to see Pujara bat that way, because he used to bat that way initially. Especially at home. If you see his double hundreds against England and Australia, he will dominate spinners. That's exactly what we wanted him to do. We didn't want him to go into a shell. We want Pujara to bat to his potential. Once he starts scoring runs to go with the composure he already has, it becomes very difficult for the opposition to have control of the game. That's all we wanted to convey to him. He's someone who understands what the team wants. He has worked hard on his game. He has come back and he is playing more positively, which we appreciate as a team and me personally as a captain. He has actually gone and worked hard on his game. He has not told us this is my comfort zone and I am not going to get out of it. That is the kind of characters we need to win games and series.
How do you handle Jadeja and Ashwin?
I am not a senior member of the team to be handling anyone on the field. What I think is, if you have honesty in the change room, if you have an environment that is relaxed, they will be able to express themselves better on the field. They will understand, they will listen to you. They will have the trust. They trust you are not saying anything that will harm them. It's only for the benefit of the whole team. Once you have that environment in the change room, it becomes very easy as a captain to ask anything of any player. And everyone is ready all the time.
One thing we have spoken about is we want to play a certain brand of cricket. Along those lines, personal performances will happen or won't happen. If they happen, yes you feel good about them, but the eventual target is to win games and win series. We want to be a high-quality team for a long time. It's just to get them rid of those pressures of individual performances. That I think is key. Once you take pressures of your own performance things can flip very quickly. You will not be able to play the way the team wants you to play. And you will not be able to perform on a personal level as well. If you think about what the team wants, how the team wants you to play, you will end up doing special things for the team. Something I have experienced, these guys have experienced. That's something everything believes in and has bought into.
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