Virat Kohli reveals the toughest challenge for Indian players ahead of WTC final 2023 (BCCI Twitter)
Virat Kohli reveals the ‘toughest part’ about playing in ‘challenging’ conditions in England ahead of WTC final 2023 as he gives valuable advice to fellow batsmen
Former India skipper Virat Kohli has revealed the ‘toughest’ part of batting in overcast conditions in England as advice to his fellow Indian batsmen as they prepare for the Australian challenge for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023. A Rohit Sharma-led Indian team is set to take on Australia for the coveted ICC title in a bid to crown the top Test-playing nation in the world.
After defeating Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023, Kohli feels the win over Pat Cummins’ team has earned them ‘respect’ from their opposition and the upcoming WTC final will be played between two teams who play each other ‘equals’. ‘ Let’s agree.
Having defeated Australia at home and in their den, Down Under back in 2018-19 and 2020-21, the Indian team will be keen to replicate their heroics from the past.
“The rivalry was intense in the beginning, the atmosphere was also very tense. But ever since we won twice in Australia, the rivalry has turned into respect and we are no longer taken lightly as a Test team,” Kohli told Star Sports.
“We can feel that respect when we play against Australia, that ‘they’ve beaten us twice in a row in our backyard and it’s going to be a level battle,'” he said.
The 34-year-old further said that there was some ‘tension’ earlier but India’s recent resurgence in red-ball cricket has enabled them to become a threat against mighty Australia.
There used to be tension in the air which is not there now. When you gain a standing, make your presence felt in the field, nobody takes you lightly,” Kohli said.
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The talismanic batsman is expecting a ‘challenging’ surface at the Oval and said that it will be very important for the Indian batsmen to be disciplined and pick which balls they need to hit, and which balls to leave.
“I think The Oval will be challenging, we will not get flat wickets and the batsmen need to be careful. We have to look at our focus and discipline,” Virat said.
He further emphasized that the team which adjusts and adapts well to the conditions is most likely to win the WTC Final 2023.
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“So you have to have the experience to play according to the conditions and we cannot go in expecting that the Oval pitch will play as usual. So we have to adjust and adapt, our only one match is at a neutral venue, so whoever adapts better will win the match,” Kohli said.
“The most difficult part of playing in cloudy and seam conditions in England is understanding and choosing the balls you need to hit. The balance between scoring runs and playing with solid technique is very important,” the former India skipper said.