HYDERABAD: Everything that India skipper Virat Kohli touches turns into gold. After being stretched by a fighting Bangladesh team till the end of the second session of the final day, his boys played all the cards right to emerge on top. The last time India lost a Test was way back in August 2015.
Asked about the big role that he plays as the captain, Kohli said: “Anyone who knows a little about the game can set the field. A captain is totally dependent on his teammates. My job is to keep the enthusiasm up in the boys.”
The 28-year-old surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s record of leading India in the most number of Tests without a loss, the latest one being his 19th. Kohli, who has had a brilliant run in all formats of the game, talked about the collective effort that goes into winning Tests. “I remember back in 2015, I did not score well, but India were still winning. So, the players who did well rubbed off their confidence on me. That’s been the speciality of this team.”
Even after registering a comfortable win against the Tigers, Kohli highlighted a few shortcomings of the consistent team. “I think we should have closed off the innings 30 to 45 minutes before we actually did. There were a few lapses in fielding.” It should be noted that Bangladesh batted for more than 100 overs in both innings.
For his attacking double ton (204) in the first innings, he was named Man of the Match. Kohli thought the batting-friendly wicket helped his cause. “I was surprised with how fast I scored those runs. There was not much for the bowlers in the pitch.”
Every cricket fan remembers the old Kohli, who threw punches in the air with his nostrils flaring after completing a victory or scoring a ton. He has toned down those animated celebrations, and it is getting reflected in his captaincy too.
“Earlier, I used to get fierce when our bowlers could not pick up wickets. But, now I accept the fact that the wickets will come when they have to. I will probably make it difficult for the opposition to score quick runs than bring in all the fielders to attack, which might result in the leakage of runs,” Kohli remarked confidently.
vishal@newindianexpress.com