Lower order batting contributions key for success in Australia: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket team skipper, has urged the batsmen to correct the mistakes made on tours to South Africa and England but stressed on the need for the lower order to contribute more if India are to achieve success in the upcoming series against Australia starting on November 21.

Speaking in the press conference ahead of the team’s departure on Friday, Kohli said the focus must be on the lower order batsmen contributing a lot more. “We understand it can get difficult for the top because the bowlers are bowling a good spell. Middle order is relatively easy. Lower order contributions are crucial. In England, their lower order contributed much better than ours and that helped them win the series. We want the guys to be fearless in that position. An all-rounder who can bowl has no pressure and if he gets going, the course of the series can be changed. From top to bottom, we need to bat together,” Kohli said.

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In the recent series against England which India lost 1-4, Sam Curran, batting at No.8 shared vital partnerships with the tail to help the hosts recover. In Edgbaston, he helped the team recover from 86/6 to 180 with a knock of 63. At the Rose Bowl in Southampton, he smashed 78 to help England bounce back from 86/6 to 252.

Everyone must contribute

The batting unit has consistently suffered on overseas tours in 2018, with only Kohli standing out. When asked about the struggles of the batting, Kohli said the team batted well in patches but the mistakes committed were extreme.

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“We sat down and figured out what went wrong in England. To be honest, not much went wrong. However, when we made the mistakes, it was extreme. We played good cricket, but the mistakes were extreme. We need to control a tough situation better and how to find a way out of it rather than getting out of it immediately. Our focus will be how the batsmen bat together on the tour,” Kohli said.

Key to success in Australia

Kohli stressed that the fitness levels of the Indian cricket team are up, which is a big boost in Australian conditions. The Indian skipper also praised the form of the bowlers, who have been consistently taking 20 wickets in Tests.

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“The pitches in Australia can get boring at times. The kookaburra does not move much. It is about patience and maintaining the tempo well,” Kohli added.

In the last couple of decades, South Africa has been the only team to achieve success Down Under in three consecutive Test series. Kohli said the Indian bowlers, with pacers like Jaspreet Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami  as well as spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in the team, have the capability to maintain the pressure on the Australian batsmen

“It is about patience and maintaining the tempo well. A team like South Africa have done well because guys like Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and now Kagiso Rabada have relentlessly bowled in the right areas. I am confident that my bowlers can do the job. he bowlers have the capability to take 20 wickets every time and that is a great feeling,” Kohli said.

Indian coach Ravi Shastri said the team needed to seize the tough moments in order to gain success. “I see a lot of progress across all formats. I say this despite the score line in England. When we look at actual performances in all formats, especially on overseas conditions, I am more than happy. If we learn from the mistakes in South Africa and England, it will stand us in good stead in Australia,” Shastri said.

India will be determined to win their first-ever Test series in Australia, which begins on December 6 in Adelaide.