Virat Kohli stresses on attacking in last overs against England

Kohli reiterates his love for batting as much as he can to give the opposition nightmares; stresses on attacking in the last three overs of an innings

Birmingham: "You cannot compare any other batsman with Virat Kohli." This was India's bowling coach Bharat Arun's recent response when asked what the Indian skipper is doing differently than the rest. Kohli has struck four half-centuries in this World Cup and is batting like a dream. He has been tested in all conditions and has come out triumphant. Whether it was the flat track at The Oval v Australia or tricky tracks against Afghanistan [Southampton] and West Indies [Manchester], Kohli has batted fluently.

He is nowhere in the Top 5 top run-getters even as the tournament reaches its business end. Yet, Kohli has dominated attacks. A lot has been said about his positive approach and mindset that put him in a league of its own. On the eve of the big clash against England, which will seal India's semi-final spot if they win, Kohli gave a sneak peek into his mindset. The 316 runs he has scored in five innings (25x4 and 2x6), Kohli has still managed a strike rate of 98.44. How?

"When boundary options are less, I see it as running twos and take 10 to 12 runs from the over. By going for high-risk shots, you also give [them] a chance to take your wicket. So, that's how my mindset is. Choosing the right phase is also important [if you have to go for your shots]. I like to bat for as long as possible for my team. There are the last three overs anyway to go for the big shots," Kohli said on Saturday.

Another quality that he revealed about his batting was his ability to hide pressure. "I'd be lying if I say I'm not under pressure. I'm probably good at hiding it, so that's why you feel like that. Everyone feels pressure, everyone has butterflies in their stomach. I'm glad I feel like that. You give anyone a difficult situation and have them bat well in that situation to get the team out of trouble, there's no better feeling [than that]. So, I look forward to that, and maybe that's why my body language is the way it is. The way you portray it [the pressure] to the opposition is what makes all the difference," said Kohli.

India have snatched the No. 1 ODI team ranking from England with their unbeaten run in the tournament, but Kohli was surprised that England, who are in a must-win situation today, have struggled in home conditions. "Everyone is a bit surprised. We thought England would probably dominate in their own conditions but, as I said at the beginning of the tournament, pressure is going to be a factor and low scores are going to be defended," he said.

"We will see what happens. The other teams have outplayed England on occasions and although we have not lost a game, we cannot be complacent. The reason we have won every game is because we have been professional and precise under pressure. Maybe the pressure has told, maybe it hasn't. It's for them to assess now," Kohli signed off.

528
No. of minutes (nearly 9 hours) Virat Kohli has spent at the crease in five matches of the ongoing WC

Kohli gives new jersey a thumbs up

India skipper Virat Kohli gave a thumbs up to the new blue and orange jersey to be worn in their game against England today. This is done to differentiate from home team England's blue. The orange colour is prominent on the front and back of the jersey. Kohli gave it an eight out of 10 rating. "Honestly, I'm not saying it for the sake of it... I really like it because it looks nice. The contrast is really nice. For one game, it's fine. I don't think we'll be heading in that direction permanently because blue has always been our colour and we're very proud to wear that," Kohli said. As he held the jersey for numerous photographers after the press conference, he remarked: "Aisa lag raha hai main t-shirt sukha raha hoon [It feels like I am drying my t-shirt]."

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