Published 16:18 IST, February 2nd 2021
Virat Kohli gives pep talk to team-mates as India prepare for Test series against England
Indian skipper Virat Kohli was seen giving a pep talk to his team-mates ahead of the upcoming four-match Test series against England starting Friday
Indian skipper Virat Kohli is back on the ground and is all geared up ahead of the upcoming four-match homes Test series against England starting Friday. The batting megastar will be back on the cricket field after more than a month. He had returned to India after the Adelaide Test match against Australia in mid-December on paternity leave.
As India get set to lock horns with England in a few days' time, Virat has decided to lead his team from the front during practice.
'Our preparations begin'
On Tuesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had posted a couple of images where Kohli can be giving a pep talk to his team-mates as the Indian team began their preparations.
In both images, the 'Captain Fearless' can be seen giving some instructions to the players as all of them can be seen listening keenly. The players who have been clicked include the likes of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, left-arm spinner Axar Patel, veteran stumper Wriddhiman Saha, number three Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, the pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, young wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant respectively.
Other members from the support staff include bowling coach Bharat Arun, batting coach Vikram Rathour, and, head coach Ravi Shastri.
India Vs England: Test series
The four-match Test series will also constitute a major part of the ongoing inaugural ICC World Test Championship. The tour kicks off with the first Test that will be played in Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. The second Test match will also be played at the same venue between February 13-17. The newly renovated Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will be contesting the final two games (Feb 24-28) & (March 4-8) respectively.
Meanwhile, the third Test match will be played under lights with the pink-ball. This will be the second time that India will be hosting the pink-ball Test match and third overall. Their first Day-Night Test was against Bangladesh at the iconic Eden Gardens in November 2019 where they had registered a comprehensive win.
However, the Men In Blue's second Test match under lights which was also their first one overseas turned out to be a forgettable one as they tasted bitter defeat at the hands of Australia in December 2020 where Virat Kohli & Co. ended up registering their lowest-ever Test score of 36.
Updated 16:18 IST, February 2nd 2021