Rahane also firmly stood behind his Test skipper Virat Kohli under whom India have played three Test matches so far albeit without any success.
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Sweeping is one aspect of my game that I always wanted to improve. “That’s that only way you win a Test match and I strongly believe we need to have the best bowlers playing in the squad”. And I guess this was the main reason that the board thought that I could be the man to take up the responsibility of the team… “And I will continue to do so till the time I play for my country”, he asserted.
Kohli said he always give 100% effort on the field and putting extra yards in batting is not required at the moment. I have played a lot of games with him as well.
Looks like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has banned WAGs (wives and girlfriends) from accompanying players to the Sri Lanka tour starting in August.
“Virat Kohli and team will play a three-day warm up match in Colombo before the first Test in Galle”. In Bangladesh it was a one-odd Test match it wasn’t a full-fledged series.
Indian Express quoted a BCCI official as saying, “Most of the players on tour are just coming off a month-long break where they had enough time to spend with their families”.
“We played some good cricket in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, so I am sure this unit will do well in Sri Lanka“. It is exciting for me and as a team. “That’s the challenge. Giving people goals and asking them to improve in certain aspects where the team requires”, Kohli told mediapersons at the pre-departure press conference ahead of three-Test series in Sri lanka.
“I am certain that if we prepare well and have the right kind of vision, we will do really well in Sri Lanka“.
Team India will also be without a head coach in the island nation as the BCCI is yet to name Duncan Fletcher’s replacement. I think he is the guy who has been very solid for us at the top of the order.
“And even if you don’t want to speak about the game, just having them around makes you feel good about your own cricket”. Most people who succeed in this game over a period of time are aggressive. “You can learn so much more by just looking at them”, the top-order batsman said. “Some are more expressive and some are not”.
Vijay has been the most consistent batsman for India in recent Tests: the opener had tallied 402 runs in five Tests in England before piling up 482 in four Tests in Australia. So, we want to give him that game time and ample opportunities to get at that big score and in quick time.
On the bowling front, he feels Harbhajan Singh would have a “crucial role to play”, while the pacers too would be required to do well. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said: “We all know the strengths and weaknesses of players at the global levels”. Harbhajan Singh has been a match-winner for India in Test matches and one-day cricket. It is great to have his vison, his ideas and his experience back with the team. Everyone has a few hiccups in his career, all of us out involved in that bracket and all of us have gone through it. The best thing about him is that he is mentally very strong. “He has a lot of patience, is a very solid character and very sure of himself and of his game”, Kohli highlighted.
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Terming it as a challenge playing any team on their home turf Ajinkya Rahane said that he would not like to put a number as to what he would like his average score in the three-match series to be.
