India vs New Zealand: Opening combination, Ishant’s fitness - Virat Kohli drops big hint about India’s team combination | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

India vs New Zealand: Opening combination, Ishant’s fitness - Virat Kohli drops big hint about India’s team combination

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Feb 19, 2020 12:05 PM IST

Kohli wants Prithvi to watch and learn from Mayank Agarwal and the way he batted in his debut series in Australia.

Team India captain Virat Kohli said that Ishant Sharma looked to be in good rhythm and that he was hitting the right areas which could well mean that the seasoned pacer could well start the first Test match in Wellington. Kohli also backed young Prithvi Shaw to follow his instincts when he walks out to bat. Rishabh Pant might have to miss out if the net session was anything to go by, while Hanuma Vihari could walk out as India’s number 6.

Virat Kohli sounds confident(Twitter)
Virat Kohli sounds confident(Twitter)

“He (Ishant) looked pretty normal and pretty similar to what he was bowling before the ankle injury. He is hitting good areas again and he has played (Test cricket) in New Zealand couple of times, so his experience will be useful to us. It was really good to see him bowling with pace and in good areas,” Kohli said during his media interaction ahead of the match.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

ALSO READ: Shane Bond picks possible New Zealand bowling attack, says ‘NZ are really hard to beat at home’

“Prithvi is a talented player and he has his own game and we want him to follow his instincts and play the way he does. Look, these guys have no baggage and are not desperate to perform in any manner,” Kohli further added.

 Also Watch | ‘We’ll adapt to what comes in front of us’: Virat Kohli ahead of 1st NZ Test

Kohli wants Prithvi to watch and learn from Mayank Agarwal and the way he batted in his debut series in Australia. “They don’t have any nerves to do well overseas. Like a clear head with which Mayank played in Australia, Prithvi can do the same in New Zealand. “A bunch of guys playing with fearlessness, something that can motivate the whole team, gives us start that the team wants and not get intimidated by the opposition in any way,” Kohli said.

ALSO READ: ‘We’re not the same team’: Virat Kohli brushes aside India’s poor record in New Zealand

The skipper did not want to read too much into India’s performances in the limited-overs leg of the series and said that the players are well aware of things they need to do to adapt their games.

“Prithvi, I think you can call him relatively inexperienced and Mayank, I wouldn’t call him that inexperienced because he has scored a lot of runs last year. So he understands what his game is like in Test cricket.

“I think sometimes in white ball cricket we try to do too much but once you come into red ball cricket, you fall into that disciplined mode of batting, which obviously suits him much more at this stage.”

Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, IPL Live Scores, and get exclusive insights with the RCB vs KKR Live Score, IPL 2024 Schedule, match highlights, and more. Explore a comprehensive Cricket Schedule, track the race for the Purple Cap and Orange Cap in IPL 2024, check Virat Kohli performance and stay ahead with all the cricket-related updates on the Hindustan Times website and app.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On