01 August,2018 10:35 AM IST | Birmingham | Debasish Datta
India skipper Virat Kohli during practice yesterday. Pic/PTI
India skipper Virat Kohli did not hit a ball in the nets on the eve of the opening Test of the Pataudi Trophy here yesterday. It meant that it was an optional practice session for the team, but it also showed how confident he was before a critical series and he's probably ironed out what had to be set right.
Brushing aside talk about being favourite, Kohli said: "It does not matter whether you are the favourites or the underdog, you still have to go out, perform and do well on the field. If you are an underdog, it's not a given that pressure will only be on the opposition. If you are the favourites, it is not certain that the underdogs will come out and be fearless all the time."
Though this will be a litmus test for the Indian team, the captain stressed that his men are relaxed. "In such a long series, you can be patient enough to turn things around. From that point of view, all of us are relaxed," Kohli told reporters.
India have not won a Test series in England since 2007. The next two series ended in disastrous circumstances for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's teams and that included a whitewash in 2011 when Kohli was not included in the playing XI in any of the four Tests.
Meanwhile, England skipper Joe Root waxed eloquent on his opposite number and said, "I'm sure there are a lot of England fans out there who love watching him play. We obviously know he's a world proven performer in this format and it'll be important for us to try and keep him quiet." Root did not read too much into Kohli's poor series in 2014 when he could manage only 134 runs in 10 innings. "From our perspective, we'd love similar form, but we know how good a player he is and what he is capable of," he responded.
Also Read: Ind Vs Eng: Will Shikhar Dhawan Make It Into The Playing 11 For The First Test?
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