Australia vs India 2018-19: Virat Kohli Eyes Maiden Series Triumph in Australia

The Indian skipper Virat Kohli is determined to create history in Australia. The visitors are on the cusp of winning their maiden series on the Australia soil. The Indian side has never won a Test series in Australia and this Indian side will like to get themselves on the board. In fact, the tourists are currently leading by 2-1 in the four-match series and have retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

Consequently, Virat Kohli will not like to take its foot off the pedal and will not like to commit a mistake of getting complacent. Kohli knows he has a fine opportunity to savour success for the first time in Australia and he would put his heart and soul into it.

A fine opportunity for India to create history.

However, Kohli said he doesn’t want to think about the past as he cannot hold control over the same. Kohli wants to focus his energy on the present and win India’s maiden Test series in Australia.

“If you ask me very honestly, no. Because what is gone is not in our control and what is to come is something that we need to think about. We need to stay in the present and focus on things that we can do, the controllable, we need to figure out what the controllable are and focus on them,” Kohli said in the pre-match press conference in Sydney.

India will like to go all the way.

Meanwhile, Kohli said when an Indian batsman goes out to bat, he not only wants to win the battle against Australia’s 11 players but also against the home crowd of 40,000. In fact, it is never easy to savour success in Australia as they always had a potent side.

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“The reason why we want to win this Test is that we understand as cricketers how difficult it is to come here and play. As I said at the high tea yesterday, it is not the team that you are playing against, the whole nation because they get behind the team so well. And when you walk into bat you feel like 40,000 people want your wicket, not just the eleven guys on the field, so we understand as cricketers how difficult it is and purely just to take that challenge on, we want to win here. And it has nothing to do with proving that we have done something that which haven’t been done in the past,” said the 30-year-old.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli said motivation has never been to change history. Kohli wants to bring his best to the table and play at the top of his game to get his team over the finishing line.

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Kohli has his eye set on the target.

“Every team that comes here wants to win, obviously. So I’m sure that they would have had the same intention, but the motivation has never been to change history.”

“It’s only been to overcome the challenge that is in front of you, as a sportsman and as a cricketer, you can ask anyone, that’s the most important thing, that’s something you look forward to, not necessarily proving something to someone or changing history, just crossing a hurdle and making your self believe that you are good enough to be at this level and beat any team anywhere in the world and that’s the most important thing,” the Indian captain continued.

Furthermore, Virat Kohli said Hanuma Vihari has filled in the big shoes of Ravichandran Ashwin as he hasn’t let the batsmen off the hook.

Kohli said, “Ravichandran Ashwin is very important for sure. In Test cricket, he is a vital part of this team and we want him to be 100% fit and for a longer period of time so that he can contribute to us in the Test format. The Ashwin factor does make you alter your plans throughout the course of the series but the fact that Vihari has bowled beautifully whenever we have given him the ball makes us feel absolutely calm about Ashwin not getting to play. It is obviously a disappointment for us as a team and him”.

The Indian have announced their 13-man squad for the final Test match at Sydney. Ishant Sharma has been ruled out whereas there are doubts over Ravichandran Ashwin’s participation.