India captain Virat Kohli blames poor mentality for Test series loss in New Zealand
"It's all mental. I don't see any problem with anyone's game as such"
Monday 2 March 2020 11:09, UK
India captain Virat Kohli highlighted the mental side of the game as he reflected on the reasons for his team's Test series defeat in New Zealand.
The Black Caps completed a 2-0 series sweep with a seven-wicket win inside three days at Christchurch, condemning the world No 1 side to their first defeats in the World Test Championship.
Kohli, who managed just 38 runs in four innings across the series, thinks India suffered as a result of overplaying the bowler-friendly conditions and a lack of "clarity" in their approach with the bat.
"You need to think positively on every day of the Test match, every situation, every session that you are a part of," he said.
"[It's] something we failed to do as a batting unit, and I truly believe that we made too much of the conditions from the first day onwards of the first Test: overcast, a bit of dampness on the pitch.
Live One-Day International Cricket
"We never used to speak of these things before. So yeah, it can creep in every now and then, it's about not letting it grow, not letting it become a norm, something that we as a side have not done at all.
"We don't go into conditions and think that we might not be able to execute what we want to. We've always gone in with a very positive outlook, and your skill follows how you think.
"If you're not clear in your head, then the feet don't move. You're not quite sure whether to play the shot or not, leave the ball or play the ball. I think these sorts of things can creep in, and which have crept in in this series. It's something we have recognised already.
"The good thing is that everyone's understood what's happened and is very keen to improve it. It's all mental. I don't see any problem with anyone's game as such. It's mental, and it's something that can happen at this level and we just need to accept it and iron it out and move ahead."
As well as maintaining a more positive approach, Kohli also stressed the importance of India accepting their failings in the series and wants his players to remember where they went wrong in New Zealand.
"Acceptance is the first word," the 31-year-old said. "These kind of mini phases [in matches], or these times as a team, or as individual, you learn to process them better.
"It doesn't mean that they stop coming or stop happening. You understand what you can learn from them, and put your head down and work hard. The only communication that has happened, and that needs to happen, is 'don't forget what has happened, learn from it, and don't delve into it too much.'
"So it is a delicate balance. You can't ignore it, plus you can't delve on it every day. You can't just keep thinking about the same thing otherwise you can't move forward. But also, if you are in denial, then you will probably not correct those mistakes either.
"So it is about recognising what went wrong, and having the capacity and acceptance to correct those things and to work on those mistakes, which as a side we are all willing to do.
"There are no easy wins. There are no givens at the international level. You have to earn every win. And this time we were just not good enough as a side. We have accepted that before anyone else, and we don't have any shame in admitting we were not good enough; we didn't play our best cricket, not even close to it."
