Virat Kohli on poor form in IND vs AUS: Have not been disciplined enough

Virat Kohli on poor form in IND vs AUS: Have not been disciplined enough

India batter Virat Kohli said not allowing himself to set in at the crease has been the root cause of his string of low scores against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“I agree the last two or three innings haven’t gone the way I wanted them to. As I said, I haven’t been disciplined enough to stick around and grind it out. And that’s the challenge Test cricket brings,” Kohli said ahead of the fourth Test in Melbourne.

“These pitches are much more livlier than the last time we played here. But that’s something that I’ve taken a lot of pride in to go out there and counter different conditions and step up when the team wants me to or needs me to. So, yeah, the idea is to get stuck in, as I said. Go in there, get your eyes set in, play enough number of balls that you start playing a game afterwards, but respect the conditions foremost,” he added.

The veteran batter started the series with a century in the first Test in Perth but has failed to get the runs since. But Kohli said he tries not to focus on the expectations and sticks to sticking to his plan.

“The expectations are always going to be there playing for your country; and when you perform for that long a period. I think it is important to understand your plan and the space you are in. If you start focussing on the expectations, you starting drifting from your plan.

“So, the idea is to follow my game plan, stay disciplined and understand the situation of the game. That’s what has brought me success over the years. And realyy focussed on what the team needs from me. If I walk in early, the situation is different. If there is a partnership, then to stretch that good period for the team,” Kohli said.

The 36-year-old added that India will head into the Boxing Day Test with its belief and confidence rekindled after the draw in Brisbane in the third Test match last week.

“If you told us, we’ll be 1-1 heading into the Boxing Day Test, we would have taken it with both hands. It is about understanding where the series is placed and that takes away all the pressure on the individuals. We want to have a strong Test match here and go 2-1 up heading into the SCG.

“The opportunity is in front of us. To avoid the follow on in Brisbane and the way the tail got stuck in, and to make sure we weren’t batting again under pressure was massive. And in the end it ended out being a draw when the situation was looking bleak for us. So, we have shown character at the right stage and that has given us another chance to start afresh and approach the game as we did the first Test,” Kohli said.

Kohli said that him and India will turn to their recent outings in Melbourne to draw inspiration for the Test.

:It is a special place. Right from my first tour, I understood the occasion the Boxing Day Test match brings. Some good memories in these Test matches. The last tour I played here, we won and went 2-1 up in the series. Even in 2014/15, I got a ton here. So, fond memories at this ground not just in Tests but other formats too. It’s a special place to come and play,” he said.