India takes on Sri Lanka in the first Test of the three-match Test series at the Eden Gardens scheduled to start from November 16. On the eve of the match, the men in blue skipper Virat Kohli said that they would play with same intensity and there is no room for being overconfident. He further mentioned they will like to maintain the consistency as a team and will play like they would have done against any other team.
“Every match you play is important and every series is huge. It’s not like we lose this series and you guys are not going to say anything to us. So, everything is important when you play for the country and we don’t like to differentiate. We simply want to do well as a team,” Kohli was heard saying to the press.
India is going into the series with two white ball series win against Australia and New Zealand and now will have to go back to the red ball game. Kohli feels that this is super challenging to every player of the squad and which they like to have.
“Another series for us. We have played so much cricket now it’s all about good preparations, keeping our energy levels up and making sure that we have quality practice. Not necessarily go for quantity because that can also lead to bad habits when you know that you are playing well and in a good zone and when you over practice, that can also lead to the mindset going off. We have to maintain the balance. I think we have done really well so far in maintaining that balance. We have to get back into the Test mode and create momentum from this game, carry it on in this series and take it forward because we are playing Test cricket straight after as well. It always feels nice to come back into the Test cricket because the challenges are different and something we always look forward to.”
When asked about this Sri Lankan team is weak, and that they have defeated Sri Lanka 9-0 earlier this year, the Indian skipper mentioned that they don’t differentiate between teams or conditions.
“Whatever the conditions we play at, whatever combinations we need to play, we do that accordingly. Keeping in mind that winning is the most important thing and for that everyone is on the same page whether we play in India or away. Regardless of the opposition we play and we want to maintain our consistency as a team and that has worked for us because we do not differentiate in terms of where we are playing, how we are playing, what team we are playing against. We just want to play good cricket as a team.”
Talking about too much cricket being played, the 29-year-old cricketer said that this analysis would have to be done by the fans because someone watching the game is very different from the one who is involved in it. Kohli signed off by talking about how to keep a balance between how to engage fans and at the same time keep the players fresh and keep cricket thrilling and competitive all through the year.