We will take a collective decision on Mohammed Shami's injury, says Virat Kohli

Despite being away from the game for more than a week, Team India’s Test captain Virat Kohli looked sharp and completely in the zone, as he fielded questions from the media ahead of the fourth Test against England at Mumbai. 

Excerpts from the interaction: 

 

On the long gap between the third Test and fourth Test, and whether it has benefited the team

VK: We didn’t ask for the gap. It was part of the schedule. When we go there (to England), we will make sure we have an eight-day gap after three Tests and a twenty five day gap between the Test and ODI series. However, seeing the long season in front of us, the break did us no harm. It helped us reflect on what we have done, visualise and come back fresher. So, we have benefited from the gap.

On the importance of spending time with family despite a hectic schedule
VK: It is very important. When you go home between the series you cannot completely switch off, because as a captain, you still have to visualise about your performances and think about combinations, but not too much. Then again, you also have to enjoy life away from the profession. It is a different outlook in our country, with people saying that cricketers should focus on the game all the time. It is an individual decision, keeping in mind the mental stress on the player. We all are professional cricketers, and when we came back, we were looking forward to the practice sessions. That means we are all mentally refreshed.

On mixing and matching the bowling combination
VK: It certainly helps when guys who have identified their faults in the past and are willing to work on it. They have worked at their consistency, having the required patience to not come at the batsman all the time. For that, you need to get fitter, bowl those disciplined, fourth-fifth stump lines. If you bowl at the batsman after three-four overs, he’ll score 25 runs that will turn the session completely, as opposed to the 4-5 runs in those overs that will keep the batsman under check. It is a routine they have been part of, they have not been desperate to pick up five wickets and look to tire the batsman so that he makes a mistake. For that you have to be physically and mentally stronger. The key is to not be desperate or selfish, and that is what they have done.

On the availability of KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami
VK: Rahul is fine. As far as Mohammed Shami is concerned, we will have to take a call in the evening in terms of how he is feeling. After the Mohali Test, he felt some soreness in the knee. We will have to take a collective decision because he has had a history with knee problems. You don’t want to push a player so much so that you lose him for the rest of the season. We still have some time to decide. 

On the injuries to pacers, and how concerned he is with it
VK: I am not really concerned. Whoever has stepped in has given match winning performances. If you look at Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) , he got to play in St Lucia and Kolkata and picked up five wickets both times. I am not worried because the guys outside are waiting for opportunities. It is great for the team.

On Jayant Yadav’s performances
VK: I am very impressed. He is just two games old, I have never played with an all-rounder who I haven’t had to tell anything. He is pretty confident of his skill, and that comes with professionalism. He practices his skill very well, he is a great package and you will see a lot more match-winning performances from him. He has all the skills needed to be a very good Test player.

 

On who gives the instructions to the batsmen in the team
VK: It is mostly collective, we decide as a team before the session. We have a small chat as a team on how we need to approach the session, the innings, or a particular spell, and the good thing is that the batsmen follow them. It is about sticking to what has been told by the team, instead of going in your own zone. That’s why we have had more team performances in the last 12-14 months than individual performances that make the others look ordinary.

On Vijay and Rahul opening
VK: There is no question of Vijay and Rahul not opening. They are not the guys who have batted in different positions. They will be our specialist openers.

 

Concerns with the form of Rahane and Vijay and the role of the lower order
VK: Lower order contributions help big time. You can’t possibly bat in a different way, thinking that the lower order will take care of this situation. You have to make the situation easy for the next player. Both Ajinkya and Vijay are solid players, Vijay scored a hundred in the first Test of the series. I didn't have scores to be proud of in NZ. It is all about covering for the other guy. That’s how the team goes forward. We don’t pick out players, saying that they aren’t playing well.

On the tradition in English cricket to go back home for Christmas, and whether the same should be there for India

VK: We should come back for a month from England too. When we go there, everything that we do is in the media’s eye, even our off time. I don’t have any news about their holiday in Dubai. So it should be the same for us. Even we should be coming back for a twenty five break from our tours in England.

 

On the fact that Kohli has not retained the same XI for any of the Tests that he has captained
VK: It has been a mix bag of people getting injured, at the same time we are playing suitable players, especially the bowlers. The priority is to win games. The batting order hasn't changed much. The priority is to keep the same players, because we need to back the guys and keep them in the squad and practice with them. Injuries never feel nice, but the forced changes have come off really well. 
 

When asked about the big gap between the third and the fourth Test, and whether the team had lost the momentum it had gained with two consecutive wins, Kohli replied with a firm no, and held his gaze at the reporter for a few seconds. As the others burst out laughing, he stood up, gave a sly smile, and walked off.