The Indian opening combination for the first Test has been discussed fervently and, predictably, skipper Virat Kohli was asked the question ahead of the match.
Kohli replied, “The situation has always been there. The balance has swung every now and then, with one of them (Vijay, Rahul and Dhawan) missing out. It’s very difficult to pick two out of three when all three are so good and have done so well. KL (Rahul) has been playing well. Dhawan’s comeback has been a revelation for himself and the team as well.”
The Indian captain added, “Dhawan’s counter-attacking skills gave all the batsmen a good platform to work on. It also deflates the opposition to a certain extent. They all have different skills and strengths. But the balance always shifts and one of them will have to miss out. They do understand so there’s no problem.”
Read: Openers give India selection headache
Talking about the surface here, Kohli said, “The wicket here looks sporting, has a lot of grass. I am looking forward to play on it. We want to build our games in such a way that we want to be looking forward to playing anywhere in the world.
He elaborated, "We don't want to wait for conditions to suit our games. We want to rather develop our games for different conditions. If you want to be the top side in the world for a longer period of time, you have to win everywhere. If you can embrace playing in difficult conditions, that will be the difference. We want to be embrace being uncomfortable and that's the most important thing.”
Asked whether there was an overkill of cricket, Kohli replied, “It will be better answered by the fans who watch the game, whether too much cricket is being played or there is a repetition of the same series. You don't want the fans going away from the game. We have to maintain a balance of how to engage fans and keep the players fresh at the same time and keep cricket exciting and competitive throughout the year. That point will be discussed in future definitely.”
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Talking about the management of workload, Kohli said, “It is not the number of matches someone plays but how much work he has put in, the amount of time spent at the crease or the number of overs bowled, that should be taken into account.”
Kohli said he too would take a break at some point. “Definitely I do need a rest, why don't I? When I think of the time my body should be rested I will ask for it, why not? I'm not a robot, you can slice my skin and check if I still bleed.”
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