JOIN USAfter the second loss in succession and with that the series, questions on team composition were expected to be thrown at Virat Kohli in his post-match press conference on Wednesday. While the Indian skipper was candid in admitting to his team's shortcomings, he did get riled up on occasions. Here are the excerpts from the press-do:
You came with the right resources -- 3 openers, 2 keepers, middle-order options. When it came to picking XI, did it come to a difference of thoughts? Maybe Rahane could have played or Rohit could have played
Look when something doesn't work, obviously, it's going to be spoken against. We are pretty used to that. We as a team don't think of what the opinion going around is, and I've clarified that before also. There are many people that are involved in making a decision for the playing XI. A lot was spoken about Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar not being picked for the second Test) as well but (Mohammad) Shami performed in this game. So now no one is talking about that. So you know it's all about whoever goes out on the field and performs. We obviously look at the conditions that we are playing in and we decide as a management group.
Fast bowlers from both teams have said this is more like a subcontinent pitch. How much does this loss hurt that despite having a sub-continental pitch you could perhaps not get the best XI out and win this match?
What's the best XI?
Was it your best XI?
But if we had won this, was this the best XI?
Again, It's a pitch that was much more subcontinental...
I'm saying that we don't decide XI according to the results.
My question was about the pitch.
But you're telling me we could have played the best XI. So you tell me the best XI and we'll play that. I'm saying the loss obviously hurts. But you make one decision and you back it. We certainly don't sit here and say, 'oh if you fail in one game you are not good enough to be at this level or...'Once the team loses. Didn't we lose in India? We had the best XI there.
You spoke about it not coming together well has that maybe been because of the chopping and changing of selection? In over 30 Tests that you have been captain, you have changed your starting line-up in each and every Test you have played
How many Test matches have we won out of 34?
In how many have you changed the XI?
How many have we won? How many have we won? 21 wins. Two losses. How many draws?
How many in India?
Does it matter? Wherever we play we try to do our best. I'm here to answer your questions, not to fight with you.
You talk of India doing well in India but not overseas, do you still believe you're the best side in the world?
Look, we have to believe that we are the best side. Even when we came here, if you don't have the belief that you can win the series here, there is no point coming here. We have not come here just to participate.
And answering your question sir (to the scribe who asked about constant changes), how many times did South Africa come into the game in India? (Or even) coming close to winning games in India (last time)? Can you count?
Journalist: That's because of the pitches...
But we are not complaining about Cape Town either. The game was finished in three days, one was a washout. So, look, we are not complaining about pitches, we are not complaining about conditions. We have come here to play. As I said, we have had equal opportunities to win in both games, and that's the positive we can take out of it, but I'm not sitting here comforting my guys. So, I don't know what you are listening to, but I'm asking everyone to be hard on themselves.