Virat Kohli unperturbed by Australian media jibes

India cricket captain Virat Kohli on Friday said he is unperturbed by the talk surrounding him in the Australian media and that he is not focussing too much on it, ahead of the fourth and final Test, starting here on Saturday.

From comparing him with the United States President Donald Trump for criticising the media to putting him in the same bracket as animals, there has been a lot written about Kohli in recent days.

"It's something which has been happening on the outside. I am more focused on improving myself as a cricketer and person. Also I am more concerned about what my teammates and close people think of me. These things do not matter to me so much, they have never mattered. I have faced this initially in my career and many times before," Kohli told reporters.

"I have always done the right thing, stuck by the right thing and said what I wanted to say because I feel that is right and I have nothing to go back and change. I am only surprised that so many people getting affected by an individual. Good luck to them. If this sells their news, then good luck to them."

Coming to his right shoulder injury, Kohli said the call on whether he will be playing or not will be taken before the game or on Friday night. India and Australia have won a match each while drawing the third one.

"If I am 100 per cent fit, I will take the field. I don't know the magnitude of the risk but if I pass the fitness test I will play," he said confidently.

"When you have reactive movements, the magnitude of your injury comes out. Those are things we need to keep in mind. The physio wants to give it a little more time till I can test myself. Probably we'll take a call on it later tonight and tomorrow before the game."

Kohli rated the Dharamsala wicket as a good one for cricket and if both batsmen and bowlers stick to their job, they will reap dividends.

"It's a very good cricket wicket. You get value for your shots here. The bowlers as well, there is good bounce for spinners and good pace off the wicket for the quicks as well so if you do any discipline well you can reap rewards on this kind of wicket," he said.

Kohli said the takeaways from the hotly contested series so far have been the fightback in Bengaluru in the second Test and Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha's 199-run marathon stand in the first innings in the third Test in Ranchi.

"I am delighted at the way the team has stood up. Pujara has been outstanding. Saha has contributed well in Ranchi, Ajinkya (Rahane) in Bengaluru. (Ravindra) Jadeja has been a revealation again in the series," he reflected.

"As I said there are so many positives, (Lokesh) Rahul has come into his own, (Murali) Vijay is back among the runs. The way we came back in Bengaluru and Ranchi, that big partnership has so far been the takeaways."

Asked whether he would push himself to be part of this Test match, Kohli said every game to him as captain is important.

"Of course you want to push yourself to be fit. It's not an injury caused because of lack of fitness, it's an impact injury so all those things need to be kept in mind," the 28-year-old reasoned.

--IANS

dm/pur/bg