India began their preparations ahead of a do or die encounter against Australia in Mohali at the back of a nail biting win against Bangladesh. They held their nerve, kept their cool and clinched a much needed win to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. For many reasons, the win against Bangladesh sprung several positives believed India batsman Virat Kohli. “Firstly, it is very good to get that win,” reasoned Kohli.
“It was a very important win for us. Sometimes you need character from a few people to get you over the line and that's exactly what happened in the last game. Spinners bowled beautifully and then Hardik Pandya held his nerve in the end, which was brilliant for us. All the things we needed to do in the end, we did, pulling the game back. That's a big positive for us."
Kohli further stressed on the need to stay focused and maintain a certain degree of consistency in a tournament like the World T20. “Awareness counts a lot in this format. Sometimes you get carried away with the occasion or the importance of the game or the situation we are in. We forget what exactly needs to be done for that particular delivery that could be a game-changing moment. This format requires you to be at the top of your focus and concentration for 120 balls with the bat and on the field as well. That's the only thing we can look to do. Stay in the moment and not get carried away with the bigger picture. The result takes care of itself if you do the process right.”
India would need to put their ‘A’ game forward without any slip ups. One small mistake and that would mean an exit from the competition. India and Australia have the same number of points and wins - the winner of the match will book a place in the semi-final. Simple as that.
“It’s virtual quarterfinal for us, we all know that and it’s very important to stay in the moment, stay focussed on what we have to do. Why we were able to beat Australia in Australia is very important to remember. It’s not so much ‘we have beaten them, so we can go out and do it again’. It’s why we did it is what we need to focus on. If we play to our potential, we have the ability to repeat that again. We obviously want to win the tournament; there is no doubt about that. We are working as hard as possible to win the tournament, to do well for the team.”
The stakes are high and it is going to be a high octane clash between two power houses. Tempers may fly, words could be exchanged, and if history is to go by, this could as well be yet another closely contested game. For Kohli, it was about making the most of the occasion and come out winning at the end of it. “I've always said I tend to thrive on those situations. But you cannot get into with that mindset only while entering the field. You need to be versatile, you need to be able play within yourself as well. That's something I'm learning and I've been able to do for the past few months,” he said.
“If anything, that motivates me more. Australia is a side that we all know is very strong. They play with a lot of passion. I believe in playing the same way. I like the challenge. I always enjoyed playing against Australia. But that doesn't mean that you are going to end up scoring every game you play. You still have to respect the conditions, the bowlers. You still have to follow your plans. You cannot sit in the dressing room thinking 'if it is Australia, I'm going to end up scoring runs'. No. They might be too good on the day. So you have to be very aware of what you are actually doing out there in the middle.”
