We need to play spin better: Kohli

Aspect Ignored To Focus On Countering Pace, Admits Skipper

Virat Kohli's eye for preparedness seems to border on the obsessive. To sustain concentration, he says, you have to practice the same things day in and day out. “You have to be boring, if you want to be successful,“ was the days' takeaway The Indian captain was speaking on eve of a 13-Test season at home ­ an almost unprecedented phenomenon ­ and Kohli was slowly spelling out how his team stands on the threshold of the challenge, starting with the Kanpur Test against a New Zealand side that's much familiar with the conditions here. Kohli articulated on the planning, the preparation, the concepts, and those little but crucial things that needed to be addressed.

Ironically, it was spin ­ no longer a sub-continental preserve ­ and India's recent ineptitude at playing it that was the pressing concern.

“Concern, I'd think is a wrong word,“ began Kohli, but acknowledged, “I think it is an area where we can improve. We lost a Test (Galle) in Sri Lanka because we could not play spin as well as we wanted to. We could not execute our batting plans. But we rectified that. The team wants to improve on that aspect of the game, something we surely needs to get strong in.

“There had been so much build-up on being able to play pace, so we focussed on that. As a result, we were able to counter conditions really well away from home ­ in England in bursts, in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. So focused were we on pace that we didn't pay that much attention to spin. Now we are playing spin longer in the nets, working on little things ­ the sweep, playing off the back foot, stepping out.

“We are improving in that area slowly. That is one area that we have recog nized needs to be worked on through the course of the sea son, and the good thing is that we are playing a lot of Test cricket... on the sidelines we can keep working on spin and are certain that the im provement will come.“

There was a clear Kohli nod to more focus on spin in the Kanpur Test in the sudden absence of pacer Ishant Sharma to chikungunya.“Obviously Ishant not playing is not something we are not used to, especially at the start of a series. But like I said, we are looking to solidify our batting and we have to understand which four bowlers can come into to play,“ he said.

With his team playing India's 500th Test, the question was naturally one on the future, the legacy . “We believe we have things that can take us to the top. The players have self-belief, and want to go out and play bold cricket,“ he said. “This season will be careerdefining for everyone in the squad because we've hardly played 17 Test matches (starting from the just-con cluded West Indies series) regularly .We've played on and off, but that's one thing we are very happy about ­ we can plan our Test cricket, test ourselves and earn our victories whenever our chance comes up. Very exciting times, according to me.“

Kohli felt that the season could have far-reaching ramifications.“This season is a phase that can lay the foundation as to where this Test team or Test cricket can go as far as India is concerned. The team is exciting and talented, and the challenge is to show composure in Test cricket and get the victories that we require and we have been able to do that. The important thing is to continue to do that.It was very kind of Anil-bhai (Kumble) to see us in this light. Obviously he can see things from a different perspective.“

On the New Zealand side, he said: “The New Zealand side is quite capable. Under (now-retired Brendon) McCullum they played some fearless cricket in the past. The key is to find a balance in being positive and being solid at the same time.“

(TOI)