‘No grudge against Bangladesh’

The Indian team led by Virat Kohli lands Bangladesh at this morning today to play a short series in Bangladesh, involving a one-off Test and three-match ODI.
The series will start with the Test, starting on June 10 at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium at Fatullah. It would be the first game between the two sides after the World Cup in which some umpiring errors led Bangladesh’s rout in the quarterfinal game.
The series however drew a huge attention following that World Cup incident. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) banned all kind of banners at the stadium in its bid prevent any kind of unwanted incidents.
The team India will get down to the business immediate after their arrival as they will start practice for the lone Test. The Indian team requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board to allot Fatullah for their practice session but since Bangladesh are scheduled to practice at the same venue at same time, the BCB informed them that they would have to practice at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
PTI adds: Not quite convinced about the idea of counting the positives after a lost match, India’s new Test captain Virat Kohli on Sunday said the days of learning are long over and his cricket team would be solely focussed on delivering results.
Addressing a pre-departure press conference on Sunday ahead of the tour of Bangladesh, Kohli said his focus is on results.
“We have learnt a lot, I don’t think we need to play with a mindset of playing to learn. Obviously, we learn about the game all the time, even when we are watching it on TV. But we have played long enough now, we know what we want to achieve as a unit. So, we really want to achieve rather than go out of a match thinking what we have learnt from it,” Kohli said when asked about his expectations from the team.
Insisting that the team is in good shape for the Bangladesh tour, which will also have three ODIs, Kohli said fitness is a prime concern to ensure that his side keeps a steady look.
“The team is looking in good shape. We conducted a fitness test yesterday (Saturday) because we feel that fitness is one area where we need to strengthen,” he said.
“Everyone is really excited for a fresh beginning. I am certainly excited about leading the team,” he added.
On his own expectations from the short tour, Kohli said he is looking forward to strategise for the grueling Test format.
“I have captained teams before. At a certain level, you learn while doing the job. Tests are a difficult ball game compared to ODIs or T20s because you have to strategise for a whole day in one go,” he said.
“I have learnt a lot while captaining in Australia. The team’s skills are good and I am looking to continue with the consistency. It’s all about how you improve on your mistakes,” he added referring to his stint Down Under when he took over captaincy after the shock retirement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the format.
On his long-term goals as captain, Kohli said he wants to create a vibrant dressing room.
“Most definitely we want to create an environment where players feel confident about their abilities. We do have plans and goals that we want to achieve. I feel there should be an environment where guys want to improve everyday for the team,” he said.
“I don’t have personal goals and I feel personal performances should not be the goals. A particular batsman might get a hundred in a losing cause which is not a good feeling. So the primary focus has to be …winning the game for the team. Mindset will always be to win the game first,” he asserted.

No grudge against Bangladesh

The Indian team led by Virat Kohli lands Bangladesh at this morning today to play a short series in Bangladesh, involving a one-off Test and three-match ODI. The series will start with the Test, starting on June 10 at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium at Fatullah. It would be the first game between the two sides after the World Cup in which some umpiring errors led Bangladeshs rout in the quarterfinal game. The series however drew a huge attention following that World Cup incident. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) banned all kind of banners at the stadium in its bid prevent any kind of unwanted incidents. The team India will get down to the business immediate after their arrival as they will start practice for the lone Test. The Indian team requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board to allot Fatullah for their practice session but since Bangladesh are scheduled to practice at the same venue at same time, the BCB informed them that they would have to practice at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. PTI adds: Not quite convinced about the idea of counting the positives after a lost match, Indias new Test captain Virat Kohli on Sunday said the days of learning are long over and his cricket team would be solely focussed on delivering results. Addressing a pre-departure press conference on Sunday ahead of the tour of Bangladesh, Kohli said his focus is on results. We have learnt a lot, I dont think we need to play with a mindset of playing to learn. Obviously, we learn about the game all the time, even when we are watching it on TV. But we have played long enough now, we know what we want to achieve as a unit. So, we really want to achieve rather than go out of a match thinking what we have learnt from it, Kohli said when asked about his expectations from the team. Insisting that the team is in good shape for the Bangladesh tour, which will also have three ODIs, Kohli said fitness is a prime concern to ensure that his side keeps a steady look. The team is looking in good shape. We conducted a fitness test yesterday (Saturday) because we feel that fitness is one area where we need to strengthen, he said. Everyone is really excited for a fresh beginning. I am certainly excited about leading the team, he added. On his own expectations from the short tour, Kohli said he is looking forward to strategise for the grueling Test format. I have captained teams before. At a certain level, you learn while doing the job. Tests are a difficult ball game compared to ODIs or T20s because you have to strategise for a whole day in one go, he said. I have learnt a lot while captaining in Australia. The teams skills are good and I am looking to continue with the consistency. Its all about how you improve on your mistakes, he added referring to his stint Down Under when he took over captaincy after the shock retirement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the format. On his long-term goals as captain, Kohli said he wants to create a vibrant dressing room. Most definitely we want to create an environment where players feel confident about their abilities. We do have plans and goals that we want to achieve. I feel there should be an environment where guys want to improve everyday for the team, he said. I dont have personal goals and I feel personal performances should not be the goals. A particular batsman might get a hundred in a losing cause which is not a good feeling. So the primary focus has to be winning the game for the team. Mindset will always be to win the game first, he asserted.