Need to bring in right people with right mindset: Virat Kohli hints at overhaul of Test side

India skipper Virat Kohli has indicated an overhaul of his Test team after a stunning loss to New Zealand in the World Test Championship final in Southampton, saying that “right people who have the right mindset to perform” will be brought in following a reassessment.

After his side lost the WTC Final by eight wickets on Wednesday with batting being a major letdown, the Indian captain didn’t take any names but expressed his displeasure at some players for not showing enough “intent” to score runs.

Senior batsman Cheteshwar Pujara managed 8 off 54 balls in the first innings and consumed 35 balls for his first run. He then scored just 15 runs off 80 balls in the second essay. In the end, New Zealand chased down a 139-run target without much trouble.

“We will continue to reassess and continue to have conversations around what are the things required to strengthen our side and not follow or fall prey to certain patterns,” Kohli said at the post match virtual press conference.

“We will not wait for a year or so and have to plan ahead. If you see our white ball team now, we have great depth and guys are ready and confident. Same thing needs to be done with Test cricket,” he said.

“You have to reassess and replan and understand what dynamics work for the team and how we can be fearless. Bring in right people who have right mindset to perform,” the skipper added.

He also spoke about finding ways to score runs against quality attacks like that of New Zealand. India scored only 217 in the first innings and were all out for 170 in the second effort.

“We definitely need to work out better plans on understanding how to score runs. We have to stay in sync with the momentum of the game and not let the game drift away too much. I don’t think there are any technical difficulties as such,” he asserted.

“It’s more down to game awareness and being more brave in putting bowlers under pressure and not allowing them to bowl in similar areas for longer periods of time unless it is absolutely overcast and ball swinging all over the place like it happened on day 1,” he added.

Kohli urged his batsmen to take calculated risks and strike a balance between well-timed strokeplay and holding an end.

“The endeavour would be to try and score runs and not worry about getting out in testing conditions. That’s the way you can put opposition under pressure otherwise you are standing there hoping that you don’t get out and you are not being optimistic enough,” he said.

“You have to take calculated risks against a quality bowling attack like NZ,” he added.