Virat Kohli Laughs Off Australia’s Mind Games
Mar 3, 2017 at 2:33 PM
Barely a week ago, Australian skipper Steven Smith was busy stating that how his team were the underdog for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this time around. Forward to a week later, and now Smith is openly stating that the tides have turned and now Virat Kohli’s India are under the scanner after a poor performance at Pune. The very same India, which is ranked number one and which decimated England not too long ago.
On the eve of the second Test at Bangalore, when Virat Kohli was quizzed about Smith’s mind games, the Indian captain being the ever cool hunk he is, laughed it off. Kohli sternly backed his team to get back to winning ways at Bangalore and without second thoughts admitted that his side was in a relaxed state of mind.
“Me? As a team? Does it look like we’re under pressure?” Kohli said, smilingly. “I’m pretty relaxed. I’m happy. I’m smiling. It’s fine, those are his views and he can say whatever he wants to say. I think it’s time we focus on our skills more than what Australia is saying or preparing like.”
Kohli also added that it would be sensible to judge India only once the series was done and dusted.
“I know these minds games in these press conferences are something they’re very good at.”We’re still going to play the cricket that we’ve played for the last two years and see where the series ends after the fourth game.”
Kohli also dismissed views which mentioned that the Indians were planning meticulously to get rid of Steven Smith early.
“The whole team has to play well against Australia to win a Test match, that’s something we’ve identified,” said Kohli. “We’re not focusing on one player at all,” the Indian captain confirmed.
“If we don’t hold onto our chances it doesn’t matter, at the end of the day, how many runs we score. We’re not focusing on one player only. The whole ten wickets have to be taken twice to win a Test match. The comments and headlines don’t matter. They never have, and we won’t base our cricket on it.”