Journalism of Courage
Virat Kohli on Friday indicated that India would prefer chasing rather than setting a target in tomorrows series-decider against Australia. Despite scoring heavily in the series,Kohli added that the new ODI rules,which only permit four fielders outside the thirty-yard circle,need to be reviewed as they were were making it hard for for bowlers and captains to control the run flow. Excerpts from a press conference.
On chasing
Personally,I feel good to chase because you know the target to meet. (We) can plan better and analyse how to play in different situations. I (also) feel good to calculate and play,which bowler to target and which ball to hit. While batting first,we need to assess the batting conditions and big partnerships are important to score high. Whether batting first or second,partnership is very crucial for the team. We need to be in strong position.
On his Form
My form has been pleasing for me so far. Hopefully I can do it once again in the last game. I used to dream of doing what Sachin did single-handedly against Australia in 1998 in Sharjah. But now we have so many talented batsmen such as Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma,who have given great starts. They have been brilliant at the top and have given me a good platform to go and express myself. The credit has to go to everyone in the team.
It has been good so far. I never expected get a 100 in 50 plus balls and another 100 in 60 balls. Winning is the best drug one can have and winning is more important than records. A win (on Saturday) will give us a lot of confidence for the two Tests against the West Indies. We will do our best to give a winning farewell to Sachin.
On new ODI rules
In batting-friendly conditions,it is very hard for the captain to contain runs and has been difficult for the bowlers. Hence,the rule should be be looked into as far as keeping five fielders (inside the circle) is concerned. It is ICCs decision to give us the rule. So I cant comment more. Yuvraj Singh bowled so well for us in so many games with four fielders inside the circle. Now,none of the teams can use part-time bowlers properly because of the fifth fielder…
If bowlers dont have the confidence,it will be difficult for the captain. Bowlers did face difficulty in this series due to the new rules. We have no choice but to play according to these rules.
