KING KOHLIADAMANT THAT INDIA WILL RULE
Home skipper warns England
VIRAT KOHLI has made it clear he and his team are in the mood to land a knockout blow this week.
And, just like any boxer before they step into the ring, there is not a shred of doubt in Kohli’s mind that India will be triumphant.
While England captain Joe Root was cautious with his words yesterday, his Indian counterpart had no such reservations.
King Kohli, 32, is not just an alliterative nickname – it appears to be a state of mind for a skipper who has not lost a Test series at home since taking over from MS Dhoni.
He has never been one to slip into the background, either with a bat in his hand or in the field as he points, postures and pesters his way to success.
He is there for two reasons only – to help his team win and to show just how good and important he is. He is pure box office.
It winds up the opposition more than they will let on in public, and it has an effect on everyone involved in the game.
But just like some of the other great antagonisers – Glenn McGrath, Viv Richards, Dennis Lillee, Javed Miandad – you cannot take your eyes off him for a second.
Even the idea that England might be able to cause India a few problems with their seam attack and a pink ball under lights was given the shortest of shrifts.
A bristling Kohli said: “I’m not really bothered about what the strengths and weaknesses of the English team are.
“We have beaten them in their home as well, where the ball does way more, and bowled them out every time so we are not really bothered with that.
“It’s just about playing well as a team. And, yeah, there are many weaknesses in the opposition as well if you are keen to exploit them.
“If the seamer-friendly track is for them, it’s for us as well and we probably have, among other teams, the best bowling attack in the world. So we’re not bothered about what the ball
might bring differently to the table, we are ready for anything.”
Got that?
Reports from Ahmedabad suggest the pitch will be bone dry and offer plenty for the spinners anyway, even if the pink ball does move in the air more.
A swinging pink ball is what did for India in Adelaide when they were bowled out for 36 by Australia in December.
But Kohli said: “You understand on that day things are just meant to happen a certain way and whatever you try to do it’s out of your control.
“Barring that 45 minutes of bad cricket in Adelaide we dominated the Test.We are very confident of how we play the pink ball.
“Australia were under the pump throughout. It is not a mental scar but something you learn from.”