India's premier batsman and stand-in-captain Virat Kohli feels that present field restriction rule is an advantage for batsmen only when they are playing in the sub-continent and it will be a completely different ball game during World Cup in Australia, next year.
Kohli, who led the team to a 5-0 clean sweep in the just-concluded one-day series against Sri lanka, was answering in context to the tall scores made by Indian top-order with Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu and the skipper himself helping themselves with a ton each.
“I don't think that only field restrictions (four fielders outside 30-yard circle) should be attributed to the big scores by the batsmen. Yes, field restrictions are helpful but only in India or sub-continental conditions where the pitches are batsman friendly. “I don't think that field restriction can be a factor in a place like Australia,” Kohli said during a media interaction at a promotional event in the capital on Monday.
“I believe field restrictions of four fielders is a good thing considering that the fight between bat and ball is pretty even and in fact you can say that bowlers enjoy a bit more advantage in these places. So it's good that the restriction makes it an even contest,” Kohli explained as to how he looked at the thing.
Having taken India to victory yesterday with a match-winning ton, Kohli said he never felt any “pressure”.“Pressure is only when you want to take it. You can take pressure from even small things and at the same time you can handle big pressure very well. It all depends on the perception of a person.
“Obviously these things keep coming in mind, as you have set a standard and you have to maintain and be consistent. Records and popularity are just by-products of your hard-work. You just have to play well and make the audience happy, and if you can do it, then it means you are doing a good job,” said Kohli.
Having taken a morning flight from Ranchi after Sunday’s day-night affair, Kohli wasn't too keen to answer questions related to cricket as he unveiled his new website www.Viratkohli.Club and a new animation character inspired by his on-field exploits.
Asked about whether he would continue to bat at No 4 or get back to his preferred No 3 slot in the ODIs, Kohli said, “I still don't know about that. I was assigned a specific role by the team management during the series and I tried to perform that role to the best of my abilities. It's not for me to say whether I would be going back to No 3 slot in batting order or not,” said Kohli.
Kohli lauds Team India
Ranchi: Elated after India decimated Sri lanka with clinical precision in the just-concluded ODIs, stand-in skipper Virat Kohli said the biggest take away from the hurriedly-arranged series has been the positive and aggressive attitude that his team displayed all through.
“Guys being positive and aggressive rather than defensive and negative. So that's something we're really stressing on. Even if a bowler is getting hit, as long as he's looking to take wickets and not looking to get away — that's the change we need,” Kohli told reporters.
Stressing on the new-found aggression, Kohli said it was a challenging task to beat their sub-continental rivals so convincingly. “It's not easy to have a whitewash especially against a sub-continent team in the sub-continent. It's always a very difficult thing so really glad the way the guys have responded to whatever I've asked of them. I'm really satisfied as a captain,” he said.
With an inexperienced side under him, Kohli batted at number four but the right-hander said his gut feeling was to bat at his usual number three. “I can't comment on it right now but as long as we're strengthened in the middle-order I don't see any reason to keep batting at four. I've scored most of my centuries and won most of the games for the team at No 3.
“As long as I play the same way as I did, that serves right for the team. You never know, I'm comfortable batting at No 3 and 4 both. I will go with my gut feel as well as what the team requires of me.”
Having outplayed Sri lanka in the first four ODIs, India found themselves on the wrong side for the first time in Ranchi when they were 231/7 in a collapse that began with Ambati Rayudu's run-out after a fine 59. However, Kohli held his composure and took charge against Mendis with three sixes en route his 21st ODI century — a match-winning 139 runs.
Happy to have led from the front, Kohli said it's easy to inculcate the culture of being aggressive as he has always played the game at high intensity.
“I, as a captain of the team, need to be at the intensity level first before asking anyone to be at the same level. That's a conscious effort I have to make. It's not that hard because I always play my cricket like that. leading by example always feels nice,” Kohli said.
Kohli was left stranded at the other end and did not get the strike as wickets kept falling and he said it was frustrating, which is why he batted down the order. “I would be wrong to say it was not frustrating. That's fine when the other guy is playing well and you don't get strike. Knowing the fact that you lost three-four batsmen because of lack of rotation of strike gets more frustrating,” he said.
“That was the reason I was playing at No 4 in the series because you need somebody to play in those situations. Playing with the middle-order batsmen throughout, I knew what to do in that situations, to stay calm and knock the ball around,” he added.
Kohli played a Dhoni-like helicopter shot to Mendis in the final over as India raced to the target with eight balls to spare. He, however, said it was not intentional.