India vs New Zealand: Virat Kohli said India will be open to trying out different things in the lead up to the World Cup but added India's focus will still be on winning the ODI series against New Zealand starting January 23.
Virat Kohli's Team India will take on New Zealand at the back of an ODI series win over Australia. (Reuters Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- India will take on New Zealand in the first of five ODIs on January 23 in Napier
- India are riding high after their first ever bilateral ODI series win in Australia
- Virat Kohli said India won't be too rigid but insisted the focus will still be on winning
Virat Kohli has promised to be flexible in the ODI series against New Zealand but he was clear the focus would still be on winning matches as India head towards the World Cup. These are the final stages of preparations for the showpiece event and India will be confident after beating Australia in the ODI series last week.
MS Dhoni returned to form with three consecutive half-centuries against Australia which has to an extent solved India's middle-order woes. However, there are still some holes that need to be plugged and Virat Kohli said India will look to do that along the way - they have 10 more ODIs left from hereon before the World Cup and each one of them will be critical.
"Winning is going to be a very important factor. When you are playing for your country, you want to win every game you play but the main thing is not to be desperate at this stage," Kohli told the media on the eve of the first India-New Zealand ODI to be played on January 23.
"There needs to be a good atmosphere in the change room and there needs to be a collective effort towards just refining ourselves as a team approaching the World Cup. And if we need to try a few players here and there just to see how they react in different situations or different positions, we are open to doing that as well.
"We don't want to be too rigid because you have to be flexible in your mind and your preparation in order to be prepared for a big tournament like the World Cup. I think we need a good balance of both even if we back a few players to play at some stage, the idea is still to win games and not just think of it as an experiment. It's an honour to play for your country," He said.
New Zealand will present a far stiffer challenge than Australia. India failed to win a single ODI the last time they toured New Zealand and Kane Williamson's men have been extremely dominant at home.
Needless to say, Kohli is not taking the hosts lightly despite the highs of the last year when they historic bilateral ODI series in South Africa and Austalia
"We played NZ in India as well. They have a good balance in their team. The bowling attack is experienced but not that old. They have that energy and buzz about the same time. They play their cricket in the right way and that's something we appreciate about the New Zealand cricket team," Kohli said.
India tried Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj and Vijay Shankar in the ODIs against Australia. Kedar Jadhav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who did not play the first two matches, starred with a fifty and a six-wicket haul in the series decider.
It now remains to be seen whether Shubman Gill, who joined the team in New Zealand, will get a game.
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