India take on New Zealand in the second Test of the series in Mumbai but the unseasonal rains are likely to leave an impact on the playing combinations.
“We have to keep the weather and changing conditions into account while discussing combinations,” Kohli said on Thursday (December 2). “We will decide the team combination based on that. At the end of the day you can’t assume that the weather will stay the same for all five days. Even if it changes, our decision will be based on what can possibly change.”
“It looks like a typical Wankhede wicket, we expect it to have nice bounce, there’s value for all kinds of bowlers on the Wankhede,” he said. “When you bat you can get runs as well. So I think it’s a great wicket for good cricket and all skillsets are in the play all the time. Which is a great position to be in because then you know that you can utilise your resources very well, and the team that does it better has more chances of winning the Test match.”
“You go in with the knowledge that you can use your bowlers – whether it’s the fast bowlers, spinners, whoever it is – and the batsmen can find value in playing good shots, in being solid at the crease and still believe that you can score runs. Even if the situation is difficult you can very well play a good knock from there on because the pitch allows you to.”
“So I think this is a pitch which demands a lot of discipline, but at the same time the rewards of the discipline are also much higher in percentage compared to some of the other venues where spin might be dominant and the fast bowlers don’t come into play. But on the Wankhede I don’t think that’s ever been the case and I know for a fact that all the bowlers, especially in red-ball cricket, they really enjoy playing at the Wankhede and bowling on this pitch, and the batsmen love it (as well).”
