Kohli says ‘it’s not right time to judge my captaincy’
PUNE: Virat Kohli, on Wednesday, said it was too early to pass a judgment on his captaincy but insisted he has become a better batsman after assuming the leadership role since captaincy does not leave any room for complacency.
Kohli maintained that captain was only as good as his team, refusing a verdict on his leadership.
“I don’t judge myself after every series. Priority and the only goal that we have is to win games. Captaincy will be as good as how your team performs and how consistent the players are. If we are not playing to our potential as players, there’s not much I can do as captain.
“The more the team becomes mature, the captain starts looking good. If the team doesn’t do well, the captaincy bit seems out of control,” Kohli said on the eve of series-opener against Australia.
“Maybe five to eight years down the line I will be able to judge myself as a captain if I remain captain for that long. I feel personally it’s too early for me to sit down and judge what I have done well or haven’t,” he said.
Kohli, who has enjoyed a phenomenal run in recent past both as a batsman and captain, said when you are leader of the side batting becomes a more serious job. Kohli said it hold true for his Australian counterpart Steve Smith as well.
“Captaincy requires you to be on point throughout the game that’s one thing which has worked well for me and I think Steve Smith as well. He has been performing consistently with the bat and as captain as well. It’s the same scenario there as well. Captain’s responsibility has urged him to focus a bit more in certain situations and push that much extra for his team and that has shown in his performances.
“He is the no. 1 Test player in the world and there’s a reason for that. I can’t pinpoint any similarities in our career. I have seen him in the academy he was never a dominant batsman and it’s a remarkable achievement for someone starting his career as a leg-spinner.”
The Indian team is approaching the four-test series against Australia with a more settled frame of mind than against England, said Kohli.
“We come into the series much more confident and surer about us as a squad and what we want to do. Every match and series is challenging and we don’t see any series as high or low. All teams we had played were good quality teams. Australia is no different.
“England was a very tough series. We started off (home season) with a draw which we managed and which was not a convincing draw from our side. It was more of not letting the opposition win and from there on we turned things around. That took a lot of character and the team is in a different mind, space ever since that first game in Rajkot. The mindset has been different,” said Kohli.
He said the Indian pace bowlers were now comfortable with a more restrictive role they have been given to play.
“The pacers have stood out. People who have standout performances are the ones in the limelight but guys who have important contributions, especially with the ball, are the ones that take those important one or two wickets in between the innings to give the spinners a bit of rest and then come back and attack again. The pace bowlers have been able to do that.
“One reason for that is they are very comfortable in the roles they have been given. To run in hot conditions and not necessarily having the plan to attack all the time can be difficult. And that’s one reason for our success as well. People are playing selfless cricket and the fast bowlers have been the prime contenders for that,” Kohli said.
He described Mitchell Starc, the Aussie pace spearhead, as a world class bowler.
“He has been hampered by injuries quite often, but the way he has evolved as a bowler, it’s been outstanding. I have played with him in IPL, I have faced him in my first tour to Australia. From then to now it’s a massive change.
“He has learnt the art of reverse swing and bowling with the old ball as well is amazing to see, the way he has developed his skills. That’s something that every cricketer in the world would admire. He has really taken his game to the next level and that’s why he is counted among the top bowlers in world cricket and deserves to be there.”