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, finishing his follow-through next to the batter with his hands resting behind his head. The jibes continued in Punjabi but only lasted a few deliveries before Kohli moved to the net where the spinners Axar Patel, Naman Dhir and Kuldeep Yadav were operating. He was out of the firing line but kept needling Arshdeep after animated appeals.“Hain? Howzat?” he would jokingly ask, even making a DRS gesture, when Arshdeep appealed during his spell. The youngster did have the last laugh, but Kohli wasn’t done competing, and certainly not chatting.Round 2 happened with Kuldeep when the chinaman made the right-hander play one back to his stumps. As Kuldeep celebrated, Kohli played it down: “Ye koi ball thi wicket ki?,” he said before deciding to pause.
After squaring off in the nets, Virat Kohli and Arshdeep Singh had healthy banter on the sidelines of India’s nets session in Mount Maunganui. (Image: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)
Arshdeep kept talking about length and mindset with Kohli, who shared his experience with the bowlers. He narrated an instance of facing a quick Jofra Archer delivery in the IPL that rose sharply from the good-length spot, stressing the importance of lengths, while assessing the pitch.It was a long hit for Kohli on Thursday. He faced a mix of fast bowling, spin and throwdowns, but he brought match-like energy, making it a very lively session for the squad. There was the occasional chatter with head coach Gautam Gambhir and plenty of laughs, but what stood out was his unwillingness to give an inch.
Virat Kohli in the nets session ahead of fourth ODI against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. (Photo: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)
No matter what he did or who he faced, Kohli simulated match-like energy in the semi-closed setting and didn’t leave the facility without ticking off his required boxes. Right from the football session with Brar to his cool-down chat with stand-in skipper Shreyas Iyer, Kohli’s afternoon had purpose written all over it. As he walked back, the fans wanted a piece of the Indian superstar.Patiently, he signed whatever came his way and called it a day.
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