India captain Virat Kohli touched upon the mental stress and physical strain the Indian team players will undergo when they play 5 Test matches against England in just 6 weeks’ time. India team, who were in hard quarantine in Mumbai, will arrive in the UK on June 3 and will undergo further quarantine in Southampton.
Virat Kohli and his men will first play New Zealand in the final of the World Test Championship at the Rose Bowl from June 18-22 and then will have a 42-day break, before engaging England in a series of five Test matches beginning on August 4 in Nottingham. The second Test will begin on august 12 in Lord’s, the third Test on August 25 in Leeds, the 4th Test on September 2nd in Kennington Oval, and the 5th Test on September 10 in Manchester.
India captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri (Photo-Screengrab)
You Will See It During The Test Series Against England When You Have To Play Five Tests In Six Weeks, It Is No Joke: Virat Kohli
Speaking in the pre-departure press conference, Kohli said that players should be given breaks to help them recover from the challenging bio-secure environment.
“You will see it during the Test series against England when you have to play five Tests in six weeks, it is no joke. Even the fittest will need a break. More than the physical part, it is the mental part. You can be destroyed mentally when you are being asked to do the same thing again and again,” Kohli said.
“It is not easy to recover especially when you have a bad day. It is important to shuffle the guys around and keep them mentally fresh because of the circumstances prevailing,” the Indian skipper added.
Apart From The Workload, The Mental Aspect Will Also Come Into The Picture Big Time: Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli opined on the ongoing pandemic and the current playing situation and said that it is difficult for the players to stay focused and motivated in such testing times. He also said that the ‘mental aspect’ will also come into the picture big time.
Virat Kohli[photo: Twitter]
“With the current structure and the kind of structure we are competing inside, it is very difficult to stay motivated and find that mental space, being confined in one area and just doing the stuff day in and day out and dealing with pressure situations. This will definitely become a norm of the future, apart from the workload, the mental aspect will also come into the picture big time,” Kohli added.
The UK government has allowed the families of the players and staff to travel with them on the 3-month long UK tour.
Also Read: A Best Of Three Final Would Have Been Ideal: Ravi Shastri Bats For ‘Best Of Three Finals’ For Future World Test Championships
