Kohli: I’m not here to prove myself
Cricket update
Indian captain Virat Kohli says he does not feel he has to prove himself in his side’s five-Test series against England.
The tourists are the top-ranked Test side going into the series, which starts at Edgbaston today.
Kohli, second in the Test batsmen rankings, averaged just 13.40 on India’s last tour of England in 2014.
“I want to score runs for the team and take Indian cricket forward, and that’s my only motive,” the 29-year-old said.
“I’m not in a frame of mind to prove myself in any country, I want to perform for the team.”
India have not won a Test series in England since 2007.
They were beaten 3-1 in the five-match series in 2014, and lost their final two matches by an innings.
Kohli was among the batsmen who struggled - he scored 134 runs in 10 innings and was dismissed four times by pace bowler James Anderson.
However, since becoming captain at the end of 2014, he has taken India from seventh to first in the world rankings and has scored 14 Test hundreds.
“If you’re an underdog it’s not a given that the pressure will only be on the opposition,” he said.
“If you’re favourites it’s not certain that the underdogs will just come out and be fearless the whole time.
“I think it’s a balance that is required and we’ve played enough cricket at this level to understand that.”
India will not name their XI for the match until Wednesday morning, although they are likely to select two spinners.
Regular spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a combined seven overs during India’s warm-up match against Essex, while left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was hit for 24 runs from four overs. “There’s total honesty and total ownership all around the squad,” Kohli added.
“We are very comfortable with where we stand as a team.” where he was last time he played Test cricket and gives us a really balanced attack.” Left-arm swing bowler Sam Curran will win his second Test cap in Birmingham, with Moeen Ali and Jamie Porter missing out. Root also confirmed batsman Jos Buttler will act as vice-captain for the five-Test series.
Ben Stokes was replaced as vice-captain by James Anderson for the Ashes during the winter.
Stokes’ trial for affray begins on Monday, the day after the first Test is due to end, with the all-rounder then missing the second Test at Lord’s, which begins 9 August.
The game at Edgbaston is England’s 1,000th Test match.
England XI for first Test: Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes. fast bowler Courtney Walsh.
“For me, [McGrath] is the greatest fast bowler that there has ever been,” Anderson said.
“I’m just going to keep playing as well as I can and if I get there, I get there.” Whether Anderson will get there against India or not will likely depend on if he plays in all five Tests, which will be jammed into a gruelling six-week period.
Already England’s greatest ever Test wicket-taker, Anderson was awarded a six-week break after the tied two-match series against Pakistan in June, in which he took nine wickets at 19.11.
“It’s going to be pretty brutal so to have this time to concentrate on my fitness, get my shoulder right - I’ve done loads of bowling as well - so I do feel in a really good place,” Anderson said.
“I just hope that I’m in a good enough place to get through those five Test matches.”
Despite saying he is feeling refreshed for the series, Anderson may be forced to sit out at least one Test as he continues to manage a troublesome shoulder injury.
England’s second greatest Test wicket-taker and fellow quick Stuart Broad also hinted this week that he and Anderson may be rotated out of the side to manage their fitness. “I think there has already been small conversations saying about, ‘Don’t be disheartened if you are left out for a Test match, it’s not a personal attack or dropping, it’s a management of your bowlers to make sure we give ourselves the best chance’,” Broad told reporters at The Oval.
At 36-years-old, Anderson is the ICC’s number one ranked Test bowler and will be looking to solidify his lofty status against India, who haven’t won a Test series in England since 2007.
He has 540 Test wickets at 27.23 to his name, and is destined to surpass McGrath’s 563 at 21.64 either against India, or Sri Lanka in November..-