India vs Australia | Virat Kohli excited to play in front of 80000 fans
Virat Kohli has asserted that he is excited to step into the MCG on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test as there are expected to be over 80,000 fans in the stands. The Indian skipper was also adamant that the team has moved on from the Perth loss and are concentrating on getting a result in Melbourne.
While the entire cricketing world waits with bated breath for the third Test of the ongoing India-Australia series, the Indian skipper is no different. With a crowd of over 80,000 people expected to make their way into the MCG on Boxing Day, Kohli revealed that the part he enjoys the most is the National Anthems before the match.
"It's amazing (as an occasion). Obviously, day one is the most anticipated day and we are expecting a lot of people to come in, maybe 80,000-plus. So I have experienced that twice before,” Kohli said in the pre-match press conference, reported PTI.
"It's definitely a magical day to step on the field, the national anthems for both teams, and you can sense the energy in the stadium. For me, that is my most favourite personal moment of the Boxing Day, when the anthems are sung, you are standing on the field and there are so many people around you. Definitely, it is one of the most iconic Test matches and we are very happy to be a part of that.”
In the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner, most fans had given India the upper hand going into the Test series and after the visitors secured a win in Adelaide, it looked like the series was headed for an expected result. However, the Aussies fought back in Perth and on the back of a 146-run win, the hosts levelled the series at 1-1. Kohli, however, was quick to dismiss any idea that the Perth loss would play any part in the team’s performance in Melbourne.
"As a team, I don't think whether you are 2-0 up or 2-0 down or 1-1, what's happened in the past has no significance at all to what's going to happen in the next two Tests or what's going to happen in the next Test which is quite immediate.
"The key is to stay in the moment, stay in the present, understand and remember why you won the first Test, which was because of us being in the present moment," Kohli explained.
While Australia
"Lyon is a very good bowler. He consistently bowls in good areas. So we have to have our plans against such a bowler so that we can also explore scoring options because if he is allowed to bowl at one spot for a long time, he becomes even more dangerous.
"These things you need to figure out constantly - who is bowling well in a particular series and what your plans should be against him. He has definitely bowled very well from the opposition."
"For a spinner to bowl so well in Australia is a huge thing. We are taking it as a challenge, and we definitely want to improve our play against him. We have put in the effort in practice, it now matters who we execute those on the field.
"As I said, if there is a challenge coming your way, you try and counter it. That's our effort - if we have been dismissed in a particular way, not repeat that mode of dismissal. As cricketers, that is all you can do," he added.
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