Kohli confident of playing next game

A sombre Virat Kohli, after overseeing the first innings defeat as the captain of the Indian team, said the team needs to quickly put the setback behind and strive for victory in the remaining three games.

“There’s no hiding from the fact that mistakes have been made. We’ll have to accept those, put them on the side, learn from them and make sure that we’re not thinking about the same mistakes again. We need to get more confident and get ahead of the mistake and not repeat it again. That’s our immediate focus heading into the next game,” said a contrite Kohli at the post match press conference on Sunday.

Totally outplayed

“We’re certainly not thinking of anything else but (winning in Trent Bridge) and building on that strongly because this is the first time in the last five Tests that we’ve been really outplayed. So we have to accept that. A side like England, when they play like that, they can outplay any opposition, especially when they play at home and the ball is doing a bit. We’ll have to accept that, put it aside and improve in the next game.”

Apart from the defeat another major concern is the back injury to Kohli himself. The skipper though allayed any major fears.

“As of yesterday and today it was not great. Back is one thing that can be very tricky when it goes off. It happened during the latter half of the last leg of the South Africa tour when I missed a T20 game because that was very sudden. The good thing I have five days before the next Test. We are confident with rehab and strengthening. I should be ready for the next game although not (with) the same intensity in the field but I should be good enough to hold a position in the field and be 100 percent with the bat.”