His fast bowlers have been in and out of the team due to injuries, but Virat Kohli has said he was not bothered by it due to the good performances by his replacement bowlers.
India’s captain Virat Kohli has underlined his team’s principle in compartmentalising roles for a common goal. He has said batsmen or bowlers have had a template to follow to complement the relevant efforts of others to chalk out Test victories.
Ahead of the fourth Test in Mumbai, Kohli elaborated on how his bowlers have been effective in Tests in the past year, a marked change from a lacklustre bowling effort during the tour of Australia in 2014-15, when Kohli had taken over captaincy.
Read: As always, dry pitch awaits teams at Wankhede
India, under Kohli, has won 12 of the 18 Tests it has played since the Australia tour, and lost just one, against Sri Lanka in Galle.
“I think one area that [fast bowlers] have worked really hard on is the consistency bit, and understanding that you don’t necessarily have to come at the batsman all the time. It’s important to have patience in particular sessions and for that you need to get fitter. You need to get fitter to keep bowling those lines – those fourth, fifth stump lines,” Kohli said.
Mohammed Shami doubtful for Mumbai Test
“I think it’s been a process that they’ve followed. It’s a routine that they’ve been a part of where they get physically stronger, they get mentally stronger to keep bowling in those areas. They’re not desperate to come in and pick up five wickets. They’re pretty happy playing their roles and as a captain, I think that’s the most important thing as a team, when people are willing to play their roles and not get desperate or selfish at any stage of the game. I think that’s been a key factor for us to get the results that we wanted and come back from difficult situations,” he added.
Read: Rahane ruled out for fourth and fifth Tests
His fast bowlers have been in and out of the team due to injuries, but Kohli has said he was not bothered by it due to the good performances by his replacement bowlers.
“Whoever has stepped in has given match-winning performances. The two times Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) has come in, in St. Lucia once, and in Kolkata once, he has picked up five wickets and became a match-winner for us. I’m not worried at all because the guys sitting outside are waiting for opportunities, which is I think a great sign for the team and that’s why whoever has played at any stage has given those performances for us because they’re pretty keen to step on to the field and grab the opportunity with both hands,” Kohli said.(more)
