Australia tour of India - 4 tests

[prtk0811]

Virat kohli Doing a full Jose Mourinho creating a "Us vs them " Siege Mentality in his team.

 

[Moonred]

You can be sure he doesn't give a shit either. He was asked a question, he answered it. What's the problem?

You are correct. However I don't see personally why he has to take it to heart. Personally, all this only made the series memorable and winning tastes even better

 

[roonster09]

You are correct. However I don't see personally why he has to take it to heart. Personally, all this only made the series memorable and winning tastes even better

Kohli didn't say Friendship with Aussies has ended or whatever nonsense media is reporting.

He was asked whether the relationship changed since the start of the series and he said yes. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

[Moonred]

Kohli didn't say Friendship with Aussies has ended or whatever nonsense media is reporting.

He was asked whether the relationship changed since the start of the series and he said yes. There is nothing wrong with that.

So what relationship did he have before the series and why does it have to change?

 

[Varun]

You are correct. However I don't see personally why he has to take it to heart. Personally, all this only made the series memorable and winning tastes even better

Well, too much has been said off the field about him for it not to have any sort of impact. He'd be blatantly lying if he said otherwise.

 

[roonster09]

So what relationship did he have before the series and why does it have to change?

Why does it have to change? Because he has a tough times with the opponents with lot of crap thrown from both sides. He is not a robot, he is human with lot of emotions, so things change sometimes.

He gave lot of credit to Australia and the way they played, he said his relationship won't be the same like before which is a fair comment.

Reporter: Virat, what was it about this Australian team that made them your toughest challenge over all these tests.

Virat: I think they, they had the belief of making things happen in these conditions. It's something that I sensed in their body language, in the way they played their cricket. They believe that they can, you know, win sessions and win situations and they are willing to enjoy the challenge, that was the most important thing and the most challenging thing for us.
Where teams really lose their morale once they lose a test match in India, but they kept bouncing back and they had the desire to compete throughout and that's why they are the number two side in the world. You know, you expect that from Australia, once they get a sniff they would put you under pressure, but you know, the way we responded I'm really proud of that as well. But I would say the relentlessness in their desire to make things happen in these conditions was probably the reason why they kept giving us, you know, a great fight til the end of this test match, so a lot of credit goes to them.

Reporter: Virat you said before the first test in Pune that a lot of the Australian players were really good friends with you off the field, has that changed during this series or is that just heat of the battle stuff that's gone on here?

Virat: No it has changed for sure. I, I thought that was the case but it has changed for sure. you know, as I said, in the heat of the battle yes, you want to be competitive but I've been proven wrong. The thing I said before the first test, that has certainly changed and you won't hear me say that ever again.

 

[roonster09]

Well, too much has been said off the field about him for it not to have any sort of impact. He'd be blatantly lying if he said otherwise.

Even today there are articles reported by Daily Telegraph (Aus) about Kohli. Egomaniac Kohli took the center stage was the headline.

 

[Samid]

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[Moonred]

Well, too much has been said off the field about him for it not to have any sort of impact. He'd be blatantly lying if he said otherwise.

Why does it have to change? Because he has a tough times with the opponents with lot of crap thrown from both sides. He is not a robot, he is human with lot of emotions, so things change sometimes.

He gave lot of credit to Australia and the way they played, he said his relationship won't be the same like before which is a fair comment.

Fair enough. But this is only my personal view, I'd prefer if Kohli developed an even thicker skin. The only disappointment for me is his form in the series and I hope that had nothing to do with him being too caught up in all this.

 

[roonster09]

Fair enough. But this is only my personal view, I'd prefer if Kohli developed an even thicker skin. The only disappointment for me is his form in the series and I hope that had nothing to do with him being too caught up in all this.

Not sure he can change. He has been hot leaded since he was playing for U19s so don't think he will change. Tbh this is something I like. He can dish it out and aggressive which Indian team lacked before.

 

[Varun]

Fair enough. But this is only my personal view, I'd prefer if Kohli developed an even thicker skin. The only disappointment for me is his form in the series and I hope that had nothing to do with him being too caught up in all this.

His form was disappointing but I seriously doubt it's because of what's been going on. He's among the mentally strongest players I've seen play, no concerns in that regard.

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Gotta love it when an Australian cricketer comes out to tell everyone what the limits should be.

They absolutely hate it when someone gives it back to them. Dada earlier and now Kohli.

 

[roonster09]

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Mitchell Johnson

Always bitter about Kohli for some reason even when Indians are not playing Aussies.

 

[Xaviesta]

Mitch Johnson is probably enjoying the attention his tweet is getting in the form of likes, re-tweets and replies.

 

[Cooksen]

I will bet that there is more tension between Maxwell and Wade in the post series drinks then any Aussie or Indian player.

Ands besides how could anyone get angry at the angelic tubby face of Renshaw

 

[KM]

Kohli said nothing wrong in that interview. Praised Australia quite a bit too.

 

[Boycott]

Fair enough. But this is only my personal view, I'd prefer if Kohli developed an even thicker skin. The only disappointment for me is his form in the series and I hope that had nothing to do with him being too caught up in all this.

I agree. He's a great batsman and wears his heart on his sleeve but if he's going to dish it out he should be able to take it back without whining to the media all the time. Supposedly he was involved with the sacking of Bhogle because he dared to do his job of being impartial. That lines up with these comments a few years ago:

“Someone who hasn’t played for the country has no right to comment on an international cricketer anyway. I don’t think that has any kind of logic. You cannot sit there and say how you would have done something differently when you have not been in that situation yourself and don’t have the mindset of a cricketer.”

This series he's contributed nowt with the bat but remained the talking point. Other players like Rahane and Pujara deserved the plaudits but they were short-lived. Even Rahul did well without converting his scores to 100s.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

You can liken Kohli to someone like Roy Keane - not as extravagant, though. Neither will take anyones shit and will give as hard as they get - In Keanes case, more than he got. I wouldn't look into it too much. We've always had soft, nice, gentlemen, its about time we went the other way.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Lol Mitch Johnson. Next Ponting will lecture Kohli on excessive appealing and claiming dubious catches.

 

[MichaelKorleone]

Longer interview -

In his post-match press conference, Kohli revealed that Ajinkya Rahane, India's stand-in captain, and Anil Kumble, their coach, had made the decision to play Kuldeep.

"I spoke to Jinks [Rahane] before the game and he asked me what I feel," Kohli said. "I said, this is your game, you have to be comfortable with playing four or five bowlers. He instantly said five bowlers, because he understands the workloads of the guys throughout the whole season and to keep pushing two guys to take wickets for you regularly is unfair when the body is tired and it has taken a toll.

"So that fifth bowler, that was Anil bhai and Jinks and myself, we all had a discussion. Kuldeep was the X-factor, they hadn't played him, they hadn't seen him much, and he turned out to be the difference in the game. I think from 130 for 1 to 300 all out in the same day can really demoralise the opposition.

"And I think it was a great call on Jinks' and Anil bhai's part. Credit to him, he went in with five bowlers and the batsmen took up the responsibility as well. To win Test matches, you need some courage before you start, to take that little bit of risk and play five batsmen, which we've done throughout the season on most occasions. It takes more responsibility out of you but that is what it is required of you playing at this level and it was his and Anil bhai's decision eventually to go in with five bowlers and it was the right one in the end."

The first two days of the Test match were neck-and-neck before India pulled away decisively on day three, taking a 32-run first-innings lead before their bowlers combined to roll Australia over for 137. Kohli said he had enjoyed the experience of watching the match from the sidelines, though it had been difficult to sit out.

"Well, I jerked my shoulder four times yesterday celebrating outside," he said. "So that's how much energy I had and I couldn't sit in the change room. So it is not nice. I don't know how many Test matches I've played in a row [54]… If it was a strain injury it would have been different, but impact injury really gave me no options. And to start a game at 50% was not fair on the team. That's the kind of person I have always been and I'll continue to be.

"But yes it was difficult watching from the outside when you have been in the thick of things all the time for the past so many years and seasons. But the most pleasing thing is when you see guys taking the responsibility in your absence and actually going out there to play one of the best ever Test matches that as a viewer you can see. I would call myself a viewer out there. I really enjoyed it. It was not easy to not play this game, but at the end of the day sitting here and having won the series, I have no complaints."

One of the key performers for India was Umesh Yadav, who took out both openers cheaply and finished with three wickets in Australia's second innings. Those three wickets took his series tally to 17 - the most by any Indian fast bowler in a home series since the turn of the millennium. Kohli was pleased with Umesh's evolution as a bowler, and said the key factor behind it was how he now understood his own bowling.

"I would put him and [Mohammed] Shami together, at par," when asked if he would rate Umesh as India's best fast bowler since Zaheer Khan. "On pure pace, striking ability and making dents in the game, he would be at par with Shami.

"Obviously, you can't compare them to Zak [Zaheer] yet because Zak had done it for a longer period of time. But from 2014 to now, Umesh Yadav, the only thing that has changed in him is his mindset. He was always a very fit guy, he probably used to bowl even quicker than he is now, but he has understood his game, become smarter.

"He used to bowl 145kph regularly, now he is touching 140kph at odd times but he is very smart with what he wants to bowl in spells. That has been a really, really big difference in his game. Obviously when you give guys confidence, saying, you are my strike bowler, they respond in that way. Then they are not thinking about getting hit for runs or anything of that sort. It is give and take, it takes a combination of a lot of things, but 80% of the credit is Umesh's for the way he has gone out there and executed it. You can take in all the advice but you have to go out there and do it eventually. Credit to him, the way he has taken his game to the next level. I am really happy for him."

Kohli said he would not get too elated with India's performance over their home season - 10 wins, two draws and one loss and all four series won - and hoped they could continue to win games consistently overseas as well.

"No need to get overexcited with whatever we have done," he said. "We are very happy with the No.1 ranking in the world, but our main challenge begins now. If we can conquer the overseas season, that's when you will see a broader smile on my face when I sit down for the press conference. To understand where we are placed and the kind of cricket we have played, and where we stand as individuals at the end of season, it makes me very happy as a captain."

Few had expected Australia to compete as hard as they did through their tour of India, and Kohli said they had been India's toughest opponents this season.

"[India's planning] was nothing different from what we have done in the past," Kohli said. "The focus was obviously to maintain our skills, our momentum that we gained throughout the season, and execute that.

"I mentioned in the post-match [presentation ceremony], credit to Australia, the way they have played in this series. They have really challenged us really hard and it tested the guys' character to bounce back from difficult situations many a time.

"Especially Jinks, the way he captained in this game was really pleasing to see because it had just been four Test matches since he had come back from his injury and to step up, show that character and lead the side to a win, hats off to him as well. He has really taken the responsibility well and I was really, really happy to see him doing that.

"He was also very delighted to be taking that responsibility for the team. These kinds of series, these kind of matches, they build character for the guys. They become very sure of themselves, their games. And when you have seven-eight people in the side who are that sure of their abilities and their mindset, then you become a champion side and you keep that going for a long period of time.

"Nothing different from what we have done in the past, it was very similar, but the resistance from the opposition was a lot more compared to the last few series that we have played. Credit goes to the way they played their cricket as well."

Asked why Australia were so competitive, Kohli said they had kept believing they had it in them to win in Indian conditions.

"I think they had the belief of making things happen in these conditions, that's something that I sensed in their body language and the way they played their cricket," Kohli said. "They believed they could win sessions and win situations and that was the most important thing and the most challenging thing for us. While [other] teams really lose their morale once they lose a Test match in India, they kept bouncing back and they had the desire to compete throughout.

"That's why they are the No. 2 side in the world. You expect that from Australia, once they get a sniff they put you under pressure. But the way we responded, I'm really proud of that as well. I would say their relentlessness and their desire to make things happen in these conditions was probably the reason why they kept giving us a great fight to the end of this Test match. So a lot of credit goes to them."

 

[Raees]

You can be sure he doesn't give a shit either. He was asked a question, he answered it. What's the problem?

He should be more mature about it to be fair

 

[Skills]

They'll all be at the IPL. Im sure they'll be pals again by then

 

[Varun]

He should be more mature about it to be fair

I don't think taking shit is a sign of maturity. The Australians have had a go at him, why pretend everything's rosy and friendly? That'd be dishonest, not mature.

 

[Raees]

I don't think taking shit is a sign of maturity. The Australians have had a go at him, why pretend everything's rosy and friendly? That'd be dishonest, not mature.

It's a game at the end of the day. Indians won, relax and enjoy the banter for what it was.. just trying to win a game of cricket. Seeing as he was personally not at his best in this series.. I think he is better placed to ignore it and move on.

No ones expecting him to be pally, just stay cool. If he is the type who plays badly when this riled up then teams will try it in the future.

 

[Varun]

It's a game at the end of the day. Indians won, relax and enjoy the banter for what it was.. just trying to win a game of cricket. Seeing as he was personally not at his best in this series.. I think he is better placed to ignore it and move on.

No ones expecting him to be pally, just stay cool. If he is the type who plays badly when this riled up then teams will try it in the future.

I don't think he saw it as banter though and understandably so. That's my point. Also, as I said earlier, don't think his bad form has anything to do with the off field incidents. He's mentally too strongly for that.

 

[Mindhunter]

It's a game at the end of the day. Indians won, relax and enjoy the banter for what it was.. just trying to win a game of cricket. Seeing as he was personally not at his best in this series.. I think he is better placed to ignore it and move on.

No ones expecting him to be pally, just stay cool. If he is the type who plays badly when this riled up then teams will try it in the future.

He lost it after the brain fade incident and how he was painted as someone who is needlessly stirring things up when it was clear that the Australian team were not playing strictly by the rules of the game (putting it delicately).

I respect the hard and aggressive style of playing and loved even the notorious Aussie teams of the past when they were at their worst in terms of behavior. However, trying to cheat the system is something I can't stand for. Its small time really and then to act as the paragons of virtue being defiled by a hothead like Kohli is taking things a bit too far.

 

[KM]

It's a game at the end of the day. Indians won, relax and enjoy the banter for what it was.. just trying to win a game of cricket. Seeing as he was personally not at his best in this series.. I think he is better placed to ignore it and move on.

No ones expecting him to be pally, just stay cool. If he is the type who plays badly when this riled up then teams will try it in the future.

To be fair, it's not just the on-field banter is it? He has been targeted by the Aussie media(called him Trump/Dictator etc) and then Aussie explayers have chimed in too with their comments doubting his commitment to the test match etc. He has every right to be pissed off.

 

[Raees]

To be fair, it's not just the on-field banter is it? He has been targeted by the Aussie media(called him Trump/Dictator etc) and then Aussie explayers have chimed in too with their comments doubting his commitment to the test match etc. He has every right to be pissed off.

I guess not being in India or being a neutral you don't see or feel the media warfare as much. I assumed it was just the DRS incident which I personally thought was blown out of proportion but if it's something more deeper than that fair enough.

 

[NM]

I guess not being in India or being a neutral you don't see or feel the media warfare as much. I assumed it was just the DRS incident which I personally thought was blown out of proportion but if it's something more deeper than that fair enough.

Aus' DRS record before/after that shows it has been underplayed, rather than blown out of proportion.

 

[Raees]

Aus' DRS record before/after that shows it has been underplayed, rather than blown out of proportion.

Has there been footage of them using the dressing room before Smith was caught?

 

[NM]

Has there been footage of them using the dressing room before Smith was caught?

Where there's smoke there's fire mate. About a 50% success (7 for 9 against) before and about 9% after (1 for 11 against) allows me to conclude that the cheating was more than one incident. I got the stats from this thread a few pages ago.

Is there proof? No. Otherwise Smith would be banned.

 

[Raees]

Where there's smoke there's fire mate. About a 50% success (7 for 9 against) before and about 9% after (1 for 11 against) allows me to conclude that the cheating was more than one incident. I got the stats from this thread a few pages ago.

Is there proof? No. Otherwise Smith would be banned.

I saw that statistic too. Could be a coincidence, the way Smith went about it seemed so over-deliberate almost as if he was trying to wind the Indians up. But either way justice was done and the Indian's deservedly won the series.

 

[zing]

Where there's smoke there's fire mate. About a 50% success (7 for 9 against) before and about 9% after (1 for 11 against) allows me to conclude that the cheating was more than one incident. I got the stats from this thread a few pages ago.

Is there proof? No. Otherwise Smith would be banned.

Didn't India's success rate double after that incident? It could perfectly well be a coincidence. These are small samples and often driven by the context of the matches -- Australia were clutching at opportunities in a results sense after that point and India weren't. You'll probably find their success rate goes up next series.


Kohli's "wont be friends" thing is quite childish. The whole "he's allowed to be honest" thing isn't really an argument. People at even small workspaces know that sometimes not saying anything is important to retain efficiency and maintain relationships. Kohli is captain of India and should know better.

It would be honest of him to tell Karun Nair he's been shit in this series at batting and slip fielding, but that is not how the world works. Some times you have to see beyond honesty, and at this age, it should be very obvious what those points are.

 

[Rams]

Such a lovely bunch, the Ozzies. Cheetah's don't change their spots I guess.

 

[prath92]

Smith said after India were bowled out on the first day of the second test that they are one session away from regaining the series or stuff like that.

Not to mention guys like Brad Hodge accusing Kohli of not playing so as to rest for the IPL and stuff.

Laughable that Aussies take the moral high ground on this. Allan Border said that Kohli reminds him of ponting and Waugh which I suppose is fair enough.

 

[KM]

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This is brilliant!

 

[Xaviesta]

I can't see India winning the series in Australia in 2018/19, can't see them drawing the series for that matter. Australia's pace bowling will be too much for them, Warner will fire as he does in Australian conditions and India's spinners won't be anywhere near as effective in Australia as they are in India. There is the small matter of nullifying Steve Smith. India might win a test but won't return to India with the Border Gavaskah trophy.

 

[KM]

Indias pace bowlers out bowled Aussie pace bowlers in most of the matches. On fast and bouncy pitches, our pace bowlers obliterated your batting lineup. So I don't see why you're so confident that why we won't handle your pace bowling?

Our batting lineup actually plays better pace bowling than spin.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

I can't see India winning the series in Australia in 2018/19, can't see them drawing the series for that matter. Australia's pace bowling will be too much for them, Warner will fire as he does in Australian conditions and India's spinners won't be anywhere near as effective in Australia as they are in India. There is the small matter of nullifying Steve Smith. India might win a test but won't return to India with the Border Gavaskah trophy.[/QUO

We'll be much improved from 2014 where we played good cricket. Plus, there's still 15 or so months - you never know.

 

[MichaelKorleone]

It's difficult to think of a test series that's dominated by home sides as much as Ind vs Aus. While India never won a series Down Under, Australia won only once in India since 1970 (2-1 in 2004-05). Even a draw seems to be rare with only one apiece in 30 years - Aus drew 0-0 in 1986-87 in India while India drew 1-1 in 2003-04 in Australia.

 

[Akshay]

Didn't India's success rate double after that incident? It could perfectly well be a coincidence. These are small samples and often driven by the context of the matches -- Australia were clutching at opportunities in a results sense after that point and India weren't. You'll probably find their success rate goes up next series.

Yeah I don't think the small samples are really indicative of anything. Then again, the question of whether Smith cheated more times really depends on whether you trust his word or Kohli's. I'll take the word of the guy who didn't cheat unless shown to be otherwise.

Kohli's "wont be friends" thing is quite childish. The whole "he's allowed to be honest" thing isn't really an argument. People at even small workspaces know that sometimes not saying anything is important to retain efficiency and maintain relationships. Kohli is captain of India and should know better.

Sure, if there's a relationship you need to maintain you don't ruin it with honesty. There's really no relationship Kohli needs to maintain with Aussie players, though. Don't see why it matters in this case.