India captain Virat Kohli has suggested England “provoked” a match winning reaction from his team in their emotion-charged second Test.
The tourists took a 1-0 lead in the five-game series after claiming a 151-run win at the recent Lord’s Test, earning bragging rights following an extended war of words in the middle.
Kohli and Mohammed Siraj were central to India’s bout of verbals, while England’s Ollie Robinson and James Anderson appeared to be involved in several of the exchanges.
The latter had also been on the receiving end of some hostile no-ball bouncers from Jasprit Bumrah.
Kohli was happy to keep the battle lines drawn ahead of the third Test starting at Headingley on Wednesday.
“It just showed this team is not going to back down and take a backward step when provoked,” he said.
“What is said on the field and what’s done in the moment, gives you extra motivation, as I said after the game, to get together as a team even more strongly.
“We play together, we play to win and we don’t let anyone or any opposition just take us lightly.
“We know and they know that we are always going to compete and find ways to win games of cricket.”
When pressed on how India had been provoked, Kohli said: “I cannot give you the details of the words that were spoken.
“I think it’s for the cameras and the stump mics to pick that up for both teams, equally, and then be analysed.
“It happens in the moment and when you’re playing competitive sport, these kinds of things happen, but it’s what you do after that situation, or how you get up from that situation that matters.
“For us this is a new Test match. This is a fresh beginning and it’s another chance to show what we can do as a team.”
India have left leading spinner Ravichandran Ashwin out of the last two games, favouring a four-pronged seam attack backed up by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
But they will assess the Headingley pitch on Wednesday morning before making a final call on their attack.
England are making their first Test appearance in Leeds since Ben Stokes led an unforgettable Ashes victory over Australia two years ago.
None of Kohli’s squad have ever played Test cricket at the venue but he remained unmoved by its reputation as a place where big moments happen.
“I’m not an individual who likes to attach too much importance to things that are on the outside for us, it’s just a Test match to be played against England, be it any stadium, anywhere in India or in England,” he said.
“What’s happened here, what hasn’t…it’s something we are not focused on because all of our energies are just focused on what we want to do as a team over the next five days.”
Micko
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Gee
Roar Rookie
Did England provoke that batting collapse? :shocked:
Micko
Roar Rookie
He was going to break his jaw or something? Clarke acting tough was pretty hilarious though! :laughing:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Mind you, remember the last test at Headingley where a side got bowled out for a similar score in their first innings? :sick: :sick: :sick:
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
What do mean brother?
josh
Roar Rookie
At least nothing you write in the internet is there for all time.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Slightly off topic. Multiple choice question for those who follow different sports; Which review system is the most incompetent? (a) NRL Bunker. (b) Cricket’s DRS or (c) Football’s VAR. All three have a common denominator I.e. the particular sporting body introduced its own system designed to produce a higher level of correct decisions.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Only whining about umpiring when they lose to Australia.
RAdelaide
Roar Rookie
NZ are the perfect quiet achievers. No carrying on and winning :stoked:
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Maybe the Indians could take that advice too?
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Hmm. After winning the toss at Headingly, looks like Virat decided to bat and bowl on the first day ….
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Yeah they can.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Sure. And what did Anderson say exactly?
Tony
Roar Guru
Famous last words perhaps?
Micko
Roar Rookie
That was said by Clarke after Anderson threatened one of the aussies.
Micko
Roar Rookie
It was NZC which refused options of warmup games last time. A two day D/N game at the Waca was offered, which was rejected. And what were the "biased umpiring decisions"?
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
That was Michael Clarke to Jimmy Anderson, a No 11 whose batting skills were in the same class as Higgs, Walsh & Tuffnell. The same Michael Clarke who rated the tradition of the team song as of lesser importance to meeting up with whoever he was dating at the time. I know who I would rather have in my team. Didn’t display the same bravado when challenged by Simon Katich as he did with Anderson.
Who will forget the sledge "We will break your &^%$*ing arm" that poor old Anderson endured on one tour of Aussie heh heh
India are good but New Zealand are better – less prone to batting collapses like we saw from India versus England today. And on England, they are poor, but still capable of a good test or two thanks to their bowlers, and if they could win this test and get lucky in another – chuck in a bit of English rain, then it is not beyond the realms they could still win this series despite being a pretty poor Team. The series I want to see is OZ v NZ in NZ….do exactly what the Aussies did to NZ – no warm up games, a day night test in Dunedin to start in early summer when it can still be as cold as Antarctica, and a few biases umpiring decisions up their sleeve in their favour, just like the Aussies seem to procure for themselves when playing at home. Oh, and at LEAST a FOUR test series too. This would be a juicy series, better than any overhyped Ashes series against an average English Team….
Sedz
Guest
It's better if his bat talks than his mouth. On a very good batting pitch, India batted like zombies. No one except Rohit showed any application whatsoever. This shows how important the opening partnership between Rohit and Rahul in first two matches. England cruised to 120 for no loss on the first day already leading by 48 runs.