Friday, March 29, 2024

Is Kohli unhappy with Pujara’s slow batting? Indian captain doesn’t mince his words





After a deflating defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the finals of the World Test Championships, Indian captain Virat Kohli indicated he wasn’t too happy with the rate of scoring of a few of his batsmen. 

“We need right people with right mindset” to perform says Kohli, adding just like white ball set-up where India has multiple players ready to should responsibility. 

“We definitely need to work out better plans on understanding how to score runs. We have to stay in sync with the momentum of the game and not let the game drift away too much. I don’t think there is any technical difficulties as such,” Kohli said.

This remark would definitely be ringing a bell in the ears of Cheteshwar Pujara who scored 8 runs off 54 balls in the first innings and consumed 35 balls for his first run. He then managed just 15 runs off 80 balls in the second innings. 

“It’s more down to game awareness and being more brave in putting bowlers under pressure and not allowing them to bowl in similar areas for longer periods of time unless it is absolutely overcast and ball swinging all over the place like it happened on day 1.

“The endeavour would be to try and score runs and not worry about getting out in testing conditions. That’s the way you can put opposition under pressure otherwise you are standing there hoping that you dont get out and you are not being optimistic enough. You have to take calculated risks against a quality bowling attack like NZ.”

“We will continue to reassess and continue to have conversations around what are the things required to strengthen our side and not follow or fall prey to certain patterns,” Kohli said at the post match virtual press conference.

“We will not wait for a year or so and have to plan ahead. If you see our white ball team now, we have great depth and guys are ready and confident. Same thing needs to be done with Test cricket.

“You have to reassess and replan and understand what dynamics work for the team and how we can be fearless. Bring in right people who have right mindset to perform,” the skipper hinted at overhaul.

India scored 217 in the first innings and were all out for 170 in the second knock.


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