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Virat Kohli and the art of not ceding an inch

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The training session saw the experienced batter undertake a comprehensive routine facing throwdowns, seamers like Mohammed Siraj, and spinners including Kuldeep Yadav. His fiercely contested 20-minute duel with Arshdeep Singh ended with his stumps disturbed, prompting a spirited reaction before he offered technical length advice based on his experiences facing Jofra Archer. The afternoon concluded with team discussions alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir and stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer before fan interactions.

Key points

  • The veteran batter blended fierce competitiveness with mentorship by advising younger bow…: The veteran batter blended fierce competitiveness with mentorship by advising younger bowlers on proper lengths.
  • Comprehensive preparations included facing various bowling styles alongside Mohammed Sira…: Comprehensive preparations included facing various bowling styles alongside Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, and Axar Patel.
  • Leadership interactions featured strategic cool-down chats with head coach Gautam Gambhir…: Leadership interactions featured strategic cool-down chats with head coach Gautam Gambhir and stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

TimesofIndia.com in Mount Maunganui: Virat Kohli on Thursday meant business when the team assembled for training ahead of the fourth ODI against New Zealand. From the moment he entered the covered nets area, the ODI stalwart was unusually chirpy as he faced the trio of Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj and

Arshdeep Singh. Speaking fluent Punjabi, he questioned the fielding setup and gave feedback on bowling lengths to Brar and Arshdeep.

Arshdeep, in particular, had an eventful contest with Kohli; the two were at it for close to twenty minutes. What started as friendly banter quickly turned into a fiery duel after the left-arm seamer cleaned up Kohli, leaving him in disbelief. Disgruntled, Kohli marched to the other end, making way for Rohit Sharma. Even while waiting for his turn, he kept thinking about the dismissal and punched his gloves together in frustration. The signal was clear: bring it on!

One could sense the energy Kohli was riding after the blip, and he charged the first Arshdeep delivery he faced only to slice thin air. The bowler, too, kept playing along,…

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