When Virat Kohli walks out to bat, he oozes confidence and self belief – two aspects of his game that were found missing in India’s last tour to England. He was often found prodding outside the off-stump, a weakness that James Anderson and co. exploited to the hilt, and which continues to be a weapon for oppositions to get him out. It has been more than a month since that tour to England and Kohli believes that the break has augured well for him and given him the time to work on his mistakes.
“I think as a cricketer you find out things about your game (when you are not doing well) which you probably are not aware of when you are playing well,” he said. “It is only when you don’t score runs and you are getting out in a particular way that you need to address those issues.
“Having that break in between was really good and I got to work on my game. I have gone back and worked hard on those particular areas and I am trying to improve my game which is important even if you are playing well,” Kohli said.
Kohli got back among runs with 66 in the only T20I in England and followed it up with 62 in the second ODI against West Indies in Delhi.
Reflecting on the process of working himself back in form, Kohli said that mental strength is an integral part of technical improvement. “Over the past two weeks I have had two different camps where I really worked hard on my game and on the areas that I needed to improve,” he said. “At the international stage it is about one innings and getting your confidence back. Your technique is only as good as how good you are feeling mentally.
“If you are feeling mentally good your technique is perfect because you are scoring runs. If you are not feeling mentally confident, it doesn’t matter how technically correct you are and you will find it difficult to score runs at the international level. I just went in with a clear head in the last two games. It doesn’t matter if I get out in the same way in the next game. At least I am feeling mentally clear and confident and I know I just need one innings to get going, which came in the last game. A fluctuation of confidence can happen to anyone and I have worked hard to get it back.”
When asked if his weakness outside the off-stumps has any bearing on his game while walking out to bat, Kohli replied, “It is very easy to let it affect you but I choose not to. When you don’t have time to work on that issue, obviously it is something that is difficult to keep out of your mind.
But when you get time off, you work on a particular area you have wanted to. At the end of the day it is about mental confidence and about letting your instincts take over which is what I have done. In the last game I felt good, stuck to the plans I wanted to follow. I was looking to attack the bowler, go towards the bowler rather than letting the bowler come to me. When I am playing well and am mentally confident, I don’t find any difficulty playing any bowler in any conditions in the world.”
Kohli’s half century against West Indies at the Feroze Shah Kotla in the second ODI was his first after eight ODI innings; something that got him a plethora of criticism. For Kohli though, it was all about putting the brickbats to rest, learning from the past and getting better with time.
“The moment I don’t score runs in two or three innings, people start telling me that you are due for a big score and they totally forget the last four-five years of all three formats of the game where I have been scoring consistently,” Kohli said.
“I am not trying to show off or brag about it but that is my nature; that is how I like to play my cricket. Every innings counts for me and sometimes I think people need to respect that we are humans and not machines. You will have a bad patch but in those times you get to know the people who actually support you and the people who are ready to rip you apart. I have learnt a lot and have seen people change completely – 360 degrees – which is not surprising. I feel mentally stronger now and I am going to be much stronger.
“The more I feel mentally confident and stronger, my cricket is only going to improve from here on. At least I know what to do and what not to do going in the future. I will be better equipped to handle it in the future.”
Focusing on the fourth ODI at Dharamsala, Kohli said the wicket on offer would produce a good contest between the bat and the ball. “We have played a lot of games here. The wicket is lively and has a good bounce and carry for the seamers. It is enjoyable for the batsmen as well. If you play correct cricketing shots you get a lot of value for them and the ball travels a long way. It is going to be a good battle of bat and ball.”
