WTC Final - ‘We are on equal terms’: Virat Kohli responds to playing New Zealand in English conditions
India and New Zealand are set to square off in the WTC final at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, which is expected to suit the New Zealand bowlers and batsmen more compared to the Indians but Kohli believes both the teams will start as equals.
India captain Virat Kohli said conditions in Southampton being more or less similar to what New Zealand have at home, won’t have any bearings in the World Test Championship final between the two sides, beginning on June 18.
India and New Zealand are set to square off in the WTC final at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, which is expected to suit the New Zealand bowlers and batsmen more compared to the Indians but Kohli believes both the teams will start as equals.
"Australian conditions should have favoured Australians (but India won). It's how you look at the situation. If you want us to board the flight from here, feeling like New Zealand's got the edge, then there's no point taking that flight.
"We are going to board that flight knowing that we are at equal terms. And whichever team performs well session by session, hour by hour is going to win that championship," said a visibly irked Kohli when asked about whether India will be on the backfoot because of conditions during a virtual conference ahead of the England tour.
Also Read: Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri full press conference highlights
Team India will depart for the UK tour later on Wednesday to play the WTC final followed by a five-match Test series against the hosts.
New Zealand are the only team that beat India in a series in the World Test Championship, which began in August 2019.
Virat Kohli’s men lost to Kane Williamson’s side 2-0 in the two-match Test series in New Zealand last year. The Indian batters struggled in front of the moving ball as debutant Kyle Jamieson wreaked havoc. India lost the two Tests Wellington and Christchurch comfortably by 10 and 7 wickets.
Kohli, however, backed his side to keep the standards high and win the WTC title.
“We have worked hard for the finals there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that we were probably gonna be the first team to be featuring in the final because of the way we have played Test cricket in the last few years. So, for us, it’s just about keeping those standards high and it’s like football. If you win one Champions League, you don’t stop working hard, you want to win 2 and 3 and 4. So, this is exactly our mindset. If you have made it to the final once, we absolutely going to win it. And then on to the next restructure, plan overhead for the next three-four years and then plan again to be the top side of the world,” he said.
