Oh Lord’s! Maintaining intensity from first ball will be key in quest for a victory: Captain
If the Virat Kohli-led Indian team has to step onto the hallowed Lord's Cricket Ground in London, it should have to do extremely well in the upcoming World Cup to enter the final on July 14.
But, this Indian team is not looking that far. What it is looking at is to maintain the same level of intensity from the very second they land in London.
Exuding confidence on the eve of the team's departure for England, Kohli said here on Tuesday: "Handling pressure, and not necessarily the conditions, is the most important thing in the World Cup."
India have a good 14 days before they kick-start their campaign against South Africa in Southampton on June 5. And, it is four tough games one after the other first up – Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan following the South Africa opener.
Kohli said: "The best thing is we have four tough games straight up and that sets the tone nicely for us. Everyone has to be at their best, gain intensity from the first match and you don't have any room for complacency. That is why it is the World Cup and that is why it is the most important tournament in the world.
"We expect that kind of pressure from the first second of stepping onto the field... We have to arrive on the day match-ready, absolutely 100 per cent match intensity and start building from there and that is the challenge."
Head coach Ravi Shastri said that the World Cup was an opportunity to be enjoyed.
"If you look at this team, what it has done over the five years is that it has played brilliant cricket. And like Virat said, it is about striving for that consistency and not playing any differently because it is a World Cup," Shastri said.
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