IND v BAN 2019: WATCH - Virat Kohli says he enjoys facing local bowlers at the net sessions

Kohli also explained his views on having only five Test centres in India.

Virat Kohli at the nets in Indore | Screengrab

Virat Kohli in his press conference in Indore on Wednesday (November 13) welcomed the idea of youngsters having access to watch Team India at the nets and local bowlers also getting the chance to bowl to the cricketers, as he thinks that is a good thing for their growth and will help them develop their skills.

Kohli said during his childhood, even getting close to the Ranji cricketers was not easy but now things have changed for the better. He added that he personally enjoys facing local bowlers as they run in and bowl at full intensity to dismiss him which helps him prepare for the match situations.

Kohli also explained his opinion of having only five Test centres in India which according to him will help boost the interest in Test cricket. He said, “If you see the ratio - there is good crowd in Indore, but then there are other places where people did not turn up. So you cannot give matches to one stadium and not to the other grounds.

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When we go overseas, we know we will play in Sydney, MCG. Perth and Brisbane. So we know what to expect, the different types of crowds and these things only help foster a culture. Indore is a place where you will not find even one vacant seat for T20s, there might still be few empty seats for Tests, hence, this is a proposal which is not meant to take matches away from any venue. It is also not about criticising any city. This is all part of a vision which is aimed at taking Test cricket to a higher pedestal. We are discussing things based on these points,”

“We are all trying to figure out ways and means to keep Test cricket vibrant and according to me, this was one of the options. Let’s see now how it is executed in the future,” Kohli further added.

The First Test at Indore between India and Bangladesh starts on Thursday (November 14), after which the teams will head to Kolkata to play their first-ever day/night Test match at Eden Gardens from November 22.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)

 
 

By Saurabh Malhotra - 13 Nov, 2019

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