Virat Kohli asks India batsmen to show more character in Australia

Sudhir Gupta 20:42 15/11/2018
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  • Kohli wants an improved showing from the rest of the batting card.

    As India get ready to depart for a full tour of Australia, skipper Virat Kohli has called on his batsmen to step and take more responsibility following the batting debacle during the 1-4 loss to England.

    India are to play four Tests in Australia in their tour which gets underway on Friday along with three T20s and as many ODIs.

    The Test squad’s batting might has come under the scanner after overseas tours of South Africa and England both ended in defeat. Ahead of the team’s departure for Australia, Kohli urged his batsmen to show more character.

    “We’re all feeling good about the fact that we have a great bowling attack now,” Kohli said on Thursday.

    “But the batsmen need to step up as well, which we have spoken about as a team after England. And everyone is really keen to correct those things and put in a complete performance.

    “So we put in a complete performance, which we want to last for a series. And for that to happen, people have to take more ownership every Test match that we play. Our focus more will be on how the batsmen bat well together on this tour because bowlers are in a great space and they know exactly what they want to do.”

    India's batting had struggled heavily in England.

    India’s batting had struggled heavily in England.

    While he has called for India’s top-order batsmen to step up in the series, the 29-year-old also wants the lower-order batsmen to chip in with useful contributions. During India’s tour of England in the summer, lower-order contributions from the likes of Sam Curran were pivotal in the hosts’ win. Kohli wants India’s lower order to emulate their England counterparts in Australia.

    “As we saw in England, their lower-order contributions were much better than ours and that was the difference in the series,” he said.

    “That’s where we want guys to be fearless. Actually, that’s the best place to bat where an all-rounder, who can bowl as well, has literally no pressure. If they get going, they can change the whole course of the game or the series.

    “That’s something we need to tighten up, especially after England. It’s something we are looking forward to, as a batting unit from top to bottom. To bat well together, not necessarily look for individual performances but bat well together to achieve a certain total every game,” Kohli continued.

    India’s tour of Australia will begin with the T20 series with the first of those three matches in Brisbane on November 21. The Test series between the two sides will get underway at the Adelaide Oval on December 6.

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