No. 3 is best batting position for me: Kohli

Image
Press Trust of India Melbourne
Last Updated : Feb 21 2015 | 10:50 AM IST
India's premier batsman Virat Kohli today declared that after experimenting with his batting position, the team management has reached a conclusion that number three is the best slot for him in the World Cup.
"I've played enough number of games to try and experiment batting position for the team to be in the best combination possible, but we figured out that it's best for me to bat at number three which I've done over the last few years, and we have got success because me or one of the top three batsmen has been able to bat through," Kohli told media-persons on the eve of the match against South Africa.
However, Kohli is dead against it being termed as a failed experiment.
"We were trying to figure out the best combination for the team. People really need to have some patience with something that we try to do. We do a few experiments, and if they don't pay off, it's regarded as something which is going to be our downfall. We don't think like that," he said.
"Unless you try, you would never know if you're right or wrong. You make mistakes and you have to learn from them, and that was one situation where we wanted to try things out, and we could not have done it at any time apart from the tri-Series, and yeah, that was the main plan behind it," Kohli said, defending the decision to use him as a floater between numbers three and four during the ODI tri-series.
Asked if this musical chair affected his batting? Kohli retorted instantly.
"No, it did not affect my batting at all. If you do well regularly, people want you to play well in every game. I can't virtually score a century in every game that I play. As long as I know what I'm doing with my batting and the kind of mindset I'm in, I'm not really worried about anything else."
Talking about tomorrow's game against South Africa, Kohli was asked if it will be a true test of India's attack and he replied, "Which game is not?"
"For us, every game is apparently a test. Even when we play more weaker sides, we always talk about what if they upset us. I'm not really thinking about all that. It's a game of cricket. I always maintain that you play a game of cricket with bat in hand and ball in hand, and that's all there is to it.
"Obviously, there's no need to prove anything to anyone. We want to play well as a unit, and that's what we're looking to do in this World Cup.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 21 2015 | 10:50 AM IST

Next Story