On way to 60, Virat Kohli was all consciousness

Dubai, September 5

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Virat Kohli says he made a “conscious effort” to score at a quick pace in the Super 4s match against Pakistan, but intermittent fall of wickets forced him to change his plans.

Kohli, who made 60 off 44 balls, was going all guns blazing early in his innings before slowing down, fearing losing out on partners in the last overs.

“Today I was making a conscious effort to strike at a higher pace,” Kohli said after the match. “When we lost wickets, there was communication and our plans changed, where I had to bat till the 18th over with (Deepak) Hooda. If there were a couple of batters, I would’ve gone with the same tempo and tried to hit more boundaries or sixes. But again, I ended up being in a situation where I had to go deep. Because after Hooda and me, it was Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), so the bowlers were to follow. That makes a bit of a difference, but we do possess the skills to analyse the situation and play accordingly as well.”

This was Kohli’s second consecutive half-century in the tournament, after an unbeaten 59 against Hong Kong in the league stage.

The former skipper said he is relishing the dressing room environment, which is translating into his performances. “The camaraderie with the boys is amazing. The environment within the team is amazing, so I’m absolutely loving the way I’m batting,” he said. — PTI

‘Only Dhoni texted me when I left Test captaincy’

Dubai: Virat Kohli said that only MS Dhoni texted him when he gave up India’s Test captaincy in January this year. “When I left Test captaincy, I only received a message from one person and I have played with that person in the past. That person is MS Dhoni,” Kohli said. “Anyone else did not message me… When you have genuine respect and connection with someone, you are able to see that because there is security from both sides. I don’t want anything from him and he does not want anything from me. I was never insecure from him and he was never of me.”