Losing the first Test to England by 227 runs is going to be a big lesson for India before going into the next game which starts Saturday. After Tuesday's defeat, India skipper Virat Kohli spoke about a lot of things that didn't go in India's favour and which they would like to improve in future.
But one thing Kohli and his team would like to continue for the rest of the series is the way wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant remains animated behind the stumps, something that keeps the energy levels going for India.
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The youngster was pretty vocal on the field and kept boosting his teammates when England took the upper hand. His funny chirps were clearly audible on the stump mic; for example, when he said ‘My name is Washington and I wanna go DC’ or called out Cheteshwar Pujara as ‘Pujinder’.
Speaking about his antics, Kohli said, “He's (Pant) a guy who likes to have fun on the field. That’s his personality and essence. We want him to continue doing that manner because that keeps the boys entertained and conversation out there is very helpful when the situation is tough and the things are not going your way.”
{{/usCountry}}Speaking about his antics, Kohli said, “He's (Pant) a guy who likes to have fun on the field. That’s his personality and essence. We want him to continue doing that manner because that keeps the boys entertained and conversation out there is very helpful when the situation is tough and the things are not going your way.”
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“His personality is very helpful for the team. He brings in a lot of energy and we want him to continue the same way,” the Indian captain added.
Beside the light input on Pant, Kohli mentioned it clearly that India are going to give ‘a tough fight’ to the visitors in the next three matches.
“We are a side that accepts our failures and faults and learns from them. One thing is for sure that in the next three matches we are going to give a tough fight and not let things slip away like it did in this Test. We have to start off with good body language and put pressure on the opposition,” said Kohli in the post-match presentation.
“Understand fields, pace of the pitch and what the bowlers are doing, all those kind of things will be crucial. In the end it is the mindset and we are trying to get that back. We know how to bounce back and will give our best effort in the next game.”