Team India’s defeat to New Zealand in the World Test Championship final has led to a lot of criticism by former players and fans. Indian cricket team did not look at their best in the WTC final as New Zealand outplayed and outsmarted them at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Indian skipper Virat Kohli also wasn’t able to contribute much with the bat as India fell to a 8-wicket defeat to the Kiwis.
There has been pressure on Kohli to deliver an ICC trophy as captain. Team India has been in impeccable form in all formats of the game but haven’t been able to get past the finish line in ICC tournaments. Test matches is where the Indian team under Kohli has excelled the most and everyone expected the team to get the job done in Southampton. But it wasn’t to be.
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Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar talked about how Kohli will approach his future and what will be his next target after the WTC final.
“He has already scored close to 7,500 test runs, and this is a format, where he just simply gives it his all. It's not that he doesn't value T20 or ODI cricket; he plays with equal intensity, but the job satisfaction that he derives – because this is the toughest format. And in modern times, because there are no dead rubbers, so every test match is valued, and every team is playing for a result. This means that whatever is on offer – from a batting perspective – is always challenging for the batsman,” Bangar said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.
{{/usCountry}}“He has already scored close to 7,500 test runs, and this is a format, where he just simply gives it his all. It's not that he doesn't value T20 or ODI cricket; he plays with equal intensity, but the job satisfaction that he derives – because this is the toughest format. And in modern times, because there are no dead rubbers, so every test match is valued, and every team is playing for a result. This means that whatever is on offer – from a batting perspective – is always challenging for the batsman,” Bangar said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.
{{/usCountry}}“So, to excel in each & every test match, and obviously, to get over the drought of the three-figure – which may have been playing on his mind – I think this is something that he would look ahead to. The way he has batted in the first innings was a clear indication of the kind of touch and the kind of rhythm that he was in. So, I think it augurs well for the Indian team.”
Indian Test team’s next assignment will be a five-match Test series against England that begins in August.