Can’t produce bowlers playing on 500-run pitches, says Virat Kohli

Nagpur: India skipper Virat Kohli on Friday clarified that there is no “policy” of preparing spinning  tracks but playing on placid batting wickets will never  produce match-winning bowlers. 

 

“It is not a policy. It is the conditions that we get in  India. Otherwise playing Test matches and making 500  runs…..you don’t create bowlers like that and win Tests  matches. They key is to win Test matches as I have said this  before. Wherever you go in the world, you should be prepared  to face those conditions and tune your game accordingly,”  Kohli was categorical in his reply at the post-match press  conference. 

 

In fact he could not hide his sarcasm at the double  standards at those who were sceptical about India not playing  enough on spinner-friendly wickets after they lost to Sri  Lanka at Galle. 

 

“I saw some time back when we collapsed in Galle (Sri  Lanka) someone said that we have improved our fast bowling  play, but we don’t know how to play spinners and now when we  are playing in spin-friendly conditions this is a problem as  well. I don’t know where we find a balance,” the hint of  sarcasm was evident in his

voice. 

 

He also took a dig at former players from other countries  (without taking names) as to how they are being critical about  a pitch sitting thousand miles away. “I don’t know why there is so much hype about this issue.  A lot of people are writing a lot of things about the pitch,  that it should not be like this, or it’s turning too much. (There are) people sitting in other countries and speaking  about pitches in India,” a livid Kohli said at the post match  media conference. 

 

Kohli said that Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis today  showed that if there was application, then one could even  survive on this strip. “It is just a matter of mindset. People are giving their  opinion and they are free to do so. But we don’t feel that  way. Today was a classic example of two guys (South Africa  captain Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis) applying themselves  and showing that it can be done,” Kohli pointed out to his  detractors. Just like his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin had said that  Indian players never complained about the pitches that they  got overseas, the skipper also decided to speak in the same  vein. 

 

“We have never complained when we had challenging  conditions and we won’t complain in future either. We try to  improve our game. It is always just the matter of us not  having the technique or mental strength to cope with  conditions away from home. When these sorts of things happen  everyone talks about undue home advantage. 

 

“People can talk about it or can choose not to talk about  it. The fact is that we have won the series. We won two Test  matches. We have sealed the series and we are happy about it,”  Kohli was point blank in his response.