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| Edited By: G Krishnan |Source: DNA |Updated: Jul 24, 2018, 06:05 AM IST
I was not aware of it. Once the social went abuzz about it, it gave me a nice feeling. But, I have more to do. There's more to come.
I think it is all about rhythm and your mindset, how you are going to enact yourself in that particular tournament. It is going to be very very crucial for anybody to be consistent.
Definitely, I have performed well against England. It is one side that has been very competitive and has skilful cricketers. It is going to be a good challenge for us to go and start off really well and take the momentum forward. The first two games will be crucial for us and set the standard for the series.
I never thought about all those things. I went out and reacted to the situations in England most of the times. The challenge for us as a team is to win the series. The only challenge for me is how am I going to contribute in a specific manner to the team's win where I keep everyone in a happy zone all the time. These are the things I am looking at and hopefully, I can contribute in a consistent manner that is going to help Indian team big time.
You can definitely plan for each bowler, but I am a strong believer in the fact that you have got to be able to adapt to the situation what you are facing inside than sticking on to your own plan because most number of times, you have to think off your feet inside that gives you more happiness because you might try to play defensive for a period and after three-four boundaries, the rhythm changes. That's how the game works and you have to be very open minded to understand that and follow that rhythm.
I never had a long period of time where I struggled. It is just in the initial phase, it is for everybody I think, where the legs would not move and you are not in the best of batting and still you have got to grind it out in the middle to get that rhythm going. Those are things that happen naturally for everybody who plays the sport for a long period of time.
Definitely, I would say that. Having the spinners they had, I thought they could have executed much better. Unfortunately, that did not happen for them. We were also batting really good at that moment. Shikhar Dhawan was going great guns and I was hitting the ball smooth. It was good for us that way.
It is too early for me to say anything about him as far as Test is concerned. But generally, in T20 and one-dayers, it is just the way he pitches the ball in the consistent areas over a period of time that makes him so special, I guess. It was a good opportunity for me to go out and experience what he has got. It is very difficult to pick him, initially. But you have got to have your mental aspect coming at it and pulling out of it.
I don't know exactly what to say. But to be honest, I was feeling a little low. But the fact of the matter is I was doing my preparation well and was training, using the facilities whenever I could and the support staff we had, and the inputs I could give the boys were phenomenal. We had a good time of two months even though I did not get to play. I am very confident of my skill sets in T20s and one-dayers and hopefully will crack them soon.
Yes, generally I asked questions to players who played in England for many years, pick their brain, acquire their knowledge, like how they handled themselves in certain situations. It was good to have Michael Hussey (former Australian batsman) as the batting consultant. And, he is a good friend of mine, he is like my brother. It has been a nice time with him, and others as well. We had a good set of people around us so that the team was always happy.
Two months are a big period of time when you are playing peak cricket, or any sport, for that matter. And to not get a game is not easy. I was trying to build my patience a lot, and it happened. I thought I went through that period pretty well, I thought, and it was very good for me to understand myself better. I am a person who wants to go and get it. Knowing you are not going to get a game and you are sitting out was tough, but I thought I did a pretty good job.
I am never going to be happy if we don't win the series abroad. So, that's there at the back of my head. At the same time, I am not too desperate as well. I know this bunch of people can do special things abroad. We had an opportunity in South Africa, and we were so close. If it was a five-Test series, it would have been so close, I guess. We could have tested them even more. It was a good memory for us to take forward and be a better team in England.
Definitely not the pitches. I can take memories of us fighting it out in the middle when you know you are finding it uncomfortable as a team. I thought we did really well. Hardik (Pandya) played a brilliant knock in Cape Town. There were knocks from Virat (Kohli) and myself that could have turned the second Test match, but I got out and things went apart. Basically, those small moments, which I want to improve as a person and as a team.
Hundred per cent. It is a big thing in any facet of life. The first time, you see anything, you are going to find it new. The second time, you will be handling it much better. The same thing applies in sport as well. If you know the stadium, you are comfortable with the dressing room, the feel is always with you. It's good.
Definitely, I would have preferred. But IPL came, and I could not plan much. After IPL, I was in the team for Afghanistan Test. I could not really plan. Hopefully, the warm-up matches before the Test will be good. (Vijay played for India 'A' against England Lions last week and returned scores 8 & 0 at Worcester. He has one more warm-up match, India vs Essex at Chelmsford from July 25-28 to get into the right frame of mind for the Tests starting next week.)
