Virat Kohli: ‘We can’t be complacent’

The India captain said his team will “stay in the present” to help ensure a 3-0 series sweep.

Published : Aug 11, 2017 18:11 IST , Pallekele

Virat Kohli wasn’t in favour of making too many changes to the Playing XI.
Virat Kohli wasn’t in favour of making too many changes to the Playing XI.
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Virat Kohli wasn’t in favour of making too many changes to the Playing XI.

Refreshed with a day’s rest thanks to the inclement weather, Virat Kohli reiterated that his men will keep complacence at bay while playing the third and final Test against Sri Lanka here from Saturday. The India captain spoke to the press on Friday.

Preview: India eyes clean-sweep

Excerpts

The pitch

It’s a different situation (the rains) but the management has gone to the stadium, to have a look. We heard there were some changes to the pitch so they have gone to check how things look so that we will have clarity. But I haven’t yet gone in without looking at the wicket at least 8-10 hours before a game. It’s probably a different kind of situation.

Playing eleven

We want to play the same kind of cricket and hopefully retain the team that played the last game as much as we can. We are certainly not thinking of too many changes because you don’t want to lose that momentum.

3-0?

We have won the series but it doesn’t mean that we can be complacent. I personally feel that it’s (thinking about 3-0) a distraction that causes people to look too far ahead. We need to stay in the present and treat every session with respect to win a Test.

Rains a blessing

We are better placed to afford a couple of days (of rest). In places like Sri Lanka which is hot and humid, people end up doing too much at practice and then maybe don’t recover for a game. It is a positive thing than a hindrance that we didn’t have to practice a day before the game.

Jadeja’s suspension and the aggression-limit

A lot of things happen in the heat of the moment. You don’t know what’s going to cost you one or two or three points. The intent counts nowadays and that’s something players need to keep in mind. If the intent is to do something bad then it counts against the player. Players have to be aware and I hope the guidelines are similar from now. It shouldn’t vary according to how the situation is looked at. If it is consistent then it is going to be good because players will be aware about how they need to conduct themselves and it will only help the game.

The chinaman

A guy like Kuldeep (Yadav), when you hand him the ball he is willing to bowl in any situation. He believes in deceiving the batsmen with the skill that he has. He proved himself in Dharamsala (against Australia) which was not such a spin-friendly wicket. A chinaman bowler is always an x-factor in a team. He has a great chance of playing.

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