Mumbai: Indian skipper Kohli reckoned the importance of breaks, and emphasised on the need to look after one’s mental well-being, especially in times of bio-bubbles, after returning from a break for the second Test against top-ranked New Zealand on Friday.
“It is very important to understand that it is crucial to refresh yourself mentally. To practice in a place where we didn’t have a structured environment or with no cameras makes a huge difference. To maintain the quality we must consider such things. Managing workload is more important from the mental point of view,” Virat Kohli said in the pre-match press conference a day before the Mumbai Test.
The Mumbai clash will mark Kohli’s return after he stepped down as Twenty20 captain at the end of the World Cup last month and took a periodic short break. Kohli also explained why he started to practice at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai for the Test series against New Zealand.
“It was just to stay in the rhythm of playing red-ball cricket. The idea was to get repetition and volume, which is important in Test cricket, so it is just about getting into the mold of switching between formats. This is something I have always tried to do. Whenever I get the opportunity to work on setting up different formats, it is more so mentally than anything related to technique,” Kohli stated further.
“The more cricket you play, the more you understand your game better. It is about getting into the mindset, that headspace where you want to play a certain way in a certain format,” he added.
Kohli himself has happy memories of playing at the Wankhede. The Indian skipper had notched up 235 against England in a Test at the same venue back in 2016.
“I enjoy playing at the Wankhede and have happy memories playing here. You can’t bat in the same manner all the time. If situation demands me to bat longer, keep one end secure, I will bat accordingly,” Kohli said, when asked about playing at Wankhede Stadium.
Kohli also gave an update on wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, said he is fully fit, and he has recovered from a neck spasm. Hence, he will be available for selection for the second Test match of the two-match Test series against New Zealand in Mumbai.
“As of now, he is fit. He has recovered from his neck spasm and is absolutely fine.”
“You have to understand the situation of where the team is placed, you have to understand where individuals stand. You have to communicate well, speak to the individuals and approach them in a way, explain things clearly. We have made changes in the past looking at combinations, we have explained to individuals and they have understood our mindset behind going in with certain combinations,” Kohli concluded.
