Kohli plays down hype about final

The hype around the World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand has been apparent. Ace spinner R Ashwin and veteran seamer Ishant Sharma, who have been featuring only in Test cricket for a while, have compared the game against New Zealand to a World Cup final.

Cheteshwar Pujara, the rock of this Indian batting order, feels a win in the game against the Kiwis will galvanise Test cricket in the country. He reckons it could be the 2007 World T20 moment where the landmark win in South Africa and eventual formation of IPL the next year changed the face of T20 cricket in India. The country until then was cold-shouldering cricket’s shortest format. Mohammed Shami and his younger colleague Mohammed Siraj have also openly hailed the WTC Final as pivotal moments in their careers.

For India skipper Virat Kohli though all the buzz about the match, starting on Friday, is nothing but white noise. “This is another Test match that has to be played,” he said bluntly in the pre-match press conference. “I think these things are very exciting from the outside where there is so much importance and so much other extra stuff that is attached to one game and it sort of becomes do-or-die. For us, as a team, we have been on a quest for excellence for a while now an we are gonna continue being on that path regardless of what happens in this game.

“As I said, we totally understand who we are as a team and the kind of cricket that we have played. We have no doubts whatsoever on our abilities and what we can do as a side. You have to treat the so-called outstandingly big moments pretty similar to the other moments as well. You can’t pick and chose and be in a space where you prioritise something and you don’t. So yes, it’s an occasion that has to be enjoyed from our point of view. But it’s no different for us, or no more important for us than the first Test match that we played all together as a young group of players back in the day when we were trying to come up the ranks. The mindset remains the same.”

It’s an open secret that Virat Kohli shares a great friendship with his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson. Kohli has even spoken admiringly about the affable Kiwi. Such friendships though won’t quell his aggressive personality when the two step out onto the field. “On the field we are professionals, know exactly how we need to play and what we need to do on the field. Yes, we get along very well off the field but when we step across the line, then it’s business at the end of the day and deal with it accordingly. It’s pretty serious stuff out there. This is a huge Test match. We are certainly looking forward to the opportunity that we’ve been waiting for a few years, and in Test cricket we have performed really well. When we step on the field tomorrow, we will play the brand of cricket as we have played in the last few years.”