Dharamsala Test: Why Virat Kohli has left Indian cricket fans tensed
Virat Kohli kept everyone guessing about his availability in the fourth India vs Australia Test. On the match eve, the India captain said he is under medication for his right shoulder injury and would take the field if he is 100 per cent fit. Catch highlights from his pre-match press conference of the Dharamsala match here.
Virat Kohli has raised the speculation about him missing the fourth India-Australia Test in Dharamsala, starting on Saturday. The India captain said he is under medication for the right shoulder injury that he suffered in Ranchi, and will only take the field if he is fully fit. Get highlights from Virat Kohli’s press conference in Dharamsala here.
“I am no different from anyone. No special treatment for me and the same rule applies for anyone. Me being 100 per cent fit is the only condition that I will play tomorrow,” Kohli said in the press conference. The Indian cricket team has called up uncapped batsman Shreyas Iyer for the fourth and final Test against Australia as cover for Kohli.
11:44 am: Proud how the team has stood up in difficult situations. Pujara has played very well, Saha contributed with the bat ion Ranchi. Jadeja, Rahul, Vijay has performed: Kohli
11:43 am: I have taken medication. I will still take some more time to decide on whether I will play on not. I will only play if I am 100 per cent fit: Kohli
11:42 am: I have not done anything in the series so far. Still team won: Virat Kohli
11:40 am: Every match is crucial for me. I want to be hundred per cent fit. Impact injury is an impact injury: Kohli.
11:39 am: Aussies played good cricket. When they play well you got to appreciate that. It’s all to play. Series is beautifully placed: Kohli
11:38 am: These things (criticism) doesn’t matter. I have always said what I wanted, I don’t have regrets. For me what my teammates think of me is important: Kohli
11:37 am: We are going with lot of positive from the third Test: Kohli
11:32 am: I am no different from anyone. Me being hundred per cent fit is the only condition that I will take the field: Kohli
11:36 am: Press conference starts:
11:30 am: Kohli’s right shoulder was heavily bandaged during the last two days of the third Test. Here’s what Clarke said about Kohli’s injury: “I think it’s actually a lot worse than people know or that Virat is leading on. I think he’s trying to do everything he can to get out onto the park because he knows how important it is as captain to lead from the front.”
11:23 am: Kohli’s pre-match press conference is about to start in another 10 minutes.
11:19 am: Virat Kohli had a 15 minutes batting session, with pads on, at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsal, reports our correspondent Siddharth Vishwanathan.
11:15 am: Meanwhile, Suresh Raina was removed from BCCI’s central contracts list Read our story: Why BCCI axed ‘family man’ Suresh Raina from cash-rich central contracts list
11:00 am: Virat Kohli had a brief batting practice in Dharamsala on Friday. But question marks remain on his fitness.
10:49 am: The nets sessions usually do as per the batting order. But there can be tweaks. Ajinkya Ranahe, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul and Karun Nair will be taking their turns.
10:43 am: Kohli is not batting on the training wickets. He is taking a few throwdowns and honing his drives. Apparently, he is in no discomfort.
10:40 am IST: Virat Kohli who did not bat in the nets on Thursday has come out to bat today. Shreyas Iyer has also arrived in Dharamsala and is training with the Indian cricket team. Live updates continues here.
Virat Kohli damaged his right shoulder when diving to save a boundary on the first day of the penultimate test in Ranchi and was off the field during most of Australia’s first innings in the drawn game.
The 28-year-old did come out to bat at his usual number four position and took the field for Australia’s second innings. There is no suggestion he has yet been ruled out of the winner-takes-all fourth Test in Dharamsala.
India’s batting mainstay Virat Kohli has scored only 46 runs in his five innings against Australia after scoring a double century in each of the previous four series.
The decision to call up Shreyas Iyer has more to do with the difficulty involved in flying out a last-minute replacement to Dharamsala, which is situated in the Himalayan foothills.
Iyer, 22, was Mumbai’s highest scoring batsman in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy and struck an unbeaten 202 in a first-class match for India A against Australia last month.
The four-match series is level at 1-1 going into the decider which starts on Saturday.
(With inputs from Reuters)