What a depleted Indian team achieved in Australia overcoming all odds was huge as well as momentous. The seeds of such a success, though, were sown much earlier when Virat Kohli first got an opportunity to lead India in Tests, in the 2014-15 tour of Australia, the captain emphasised.
“New India” believes in winning from any situation and without doubt holds the upper hand going into the first of the four Tests against a pretty decent England side at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. But in spite of the high in Australia, India need to stay a little cautious as the assignment lined up will be no less difficult than how things were Down Under, Kohli, back to lead India after a paternity break, observed.
“We have tried to create a new identity of the team ever since I led the side for the first time in 2014 that whenever we get a chance, we’ll try and win. Draw would be our last option only if we had no more chances of winning, and we have persisted with that series by series, match after match.
“When results were positive, we decided that would be our way of playing. Credit goes to the entire squad for taking this idea on board and going ahead with it. After the series win in the previous tour of Australia (in 2018-19) and the current one, it proved we’re heading the right way and also reflects the mindset of our youngsters,” Kohli said during a virtual interaction on the eve of the opening Test.
“As for this series against England, we are not thinking it will be easier than how it was in Australia. Your challenges only grow when you beat strong teams and become the top side in the world. So we need to take our game to an even higher level as that longevity and consistency is the secret behind this success.”
Team combination
The impact that Rishabh Pant had with the bat in Australia, he will continue to be India’s wicketkeeper-batsman in the series, Kohli confirmed. To talk of India’s bowling attack, the skipper indicated Axar Patel — seen as a like-for-like replacement for the injured Ravindra Jadeja — could well be slotted in. Kuldeep Yadav is also an option.
Ravichandran Ashwin is expected to be an automatic choice, while it will be interesting to see whether India take an extra quick or a spinner on a track that has traditionally favoured spinners. Jasprit Bumrah looks set for his maiden home Test and whether he will have both Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj as co-pacers or any one of them, remains to be seen.
For England, captain Joe Root acknowledged having a difficult time facing Jofra Archer at the nets, implying how charged up the pacer is along with all-rounder Ben Stokes. But who bats at No.3 for the visitors with Zak Crawley out with a wrist injury?
“We do have plenty of options,” Root claimed. Deep down, though, he knows it well enough England’s top order could be in for an even more difficult time in his 100th Test.
‘Greatest moment’
Kohli couldn’t be part of India’s triumph in Australia for the birth of his first child, but becoming a father “has been and will remain the greatest moment” in his life as well as that of wife Anushka.
“That’s something to be experienced to understand what I am saying,” he said.
Although he was away, his connect with the team was always there, even moments before his daughter was born. “During the last Test, I remember when Shardul (Thakur) and (Washington) Sundar were having that partnership, I was watching it on my phone till just before the doctor called us in.
“The connect with the team does not go away, especially when you have worked so hard for the last six years on a daily basis to take Indian cricket on top.”
Match starts: 9.30am IST
