00:00 Hi Virat, just the first game but have you ticked all the boxes?
00:11 I said in the post-match I think it was a very professional effort from us.
00:16 It was a low scoring game, not the highest of totals you will see in one day cricket
00:21 nowadays but that was because of the way the pitch was throughout the course of the game
00:25 and I think from that point of view we were very professional with the new ball in the
00:30 middle over, spinners picking up five wickets between them.
00:34 Jaspreet was outstanding, Bhuvi finished well.
00:36 So I think overall we are pretty happy with how we played.
00:40 Starting off well is always an important thing and we got together nicely as a team in the
00:46 first half on the field.
00:47 It is very important to create that energy and we were able to do that in the first ten
00:51 and from there we really built the game nicely and finished it off in a professional manner.
00:56 Virat, I wanted to know, you have seen from the opposite end Rohit scores so many hundreds,
01:03 different kinds of hundreds.
01:04 Where do you rate this hundred and the quality of innings and how he paced?
01:11 The kind of player he is, he had to curb a lot of his natural flair.
01:14 So how do you rate this innings and what are the qualities you saw in this?
01:18 I think in my opinion this is by far his best ODI innings because of the kind of pressure
01:25 the first game brings from a World Cup point of view.
01:28 And then I know as a batsman when you go in and a few balls bounce like that, it is not
01:34 easy to gather yourself again and play in a calm manner.
01:38 A lot of times batsmen tend to hit their way out of the situation but he was very composed.
01:44 He has played so many games, we expect a lot of maturity and a lot of responsibility from
01:51 someone like him.
01:52 But in my opinion of all the brilliant innings I have seen him play, I think this for me
01:57 was the top of the pile because of the way he compiled his innings and at no stage did
02:03 we feel like or he felt like he is going to throw it away.
02:06 So I think controlling the game so beautifully from one end and allowing the others to just
02:11 play themselves and string in small little partnerships, looking at the fact that they
02:15 are only chasing 228, he played the perfect innings for that kind of a situation on that
02:21 kind of a wicket against a bowling attack that was threatening to pick up wickets at
02:25 any stage.
02:26 So in my opinion, by far his best knock.
02:31 Last year in South Africa both the wrist spinners did really well against them.
02:35 So how much of that was a factor in picking them for this game and particularly Chahal
02:40 ahead of Jadeja who also performed really well today?
02:44 Massive factor.
02:45 We spoke about the fact that last time we played them, they were not that confident
02:50 against our spinners.
02:53 What we experienced was they were not able to rotate strikes so well.
02:55 They were trying to hit their way out of a situation which for a captain any day I would
02:59 love batsmen trying to hit boundaries to get out of trouble rather than rotating strike
03:03 because the risk factor is high.
03:05 So I think the spinners together also understood and realised that that is the scenario and
03:12 they bowled accordingly.
03:13 I think Kuldeep bowled really well.
03:15 He controlled the game really well from one end but I think Chahal was outstanding the
03:18 way he mixed his pace.
03:21 The ball wasn't turning so much but even with a little bit of turn and help from the
03:25 pitch what he was able to bring out of the wicket was truly brilliant to see and breaking
03:32 that crucial partnership and picking two wickets in an over was I think a game changing moment
03:37 for us.
03:39 So yeah both of them were brilliant in the middle overs.
03:46 Again, the first match of the World Cup, everyone knows the pressure situation.
04:10 Everyone has expectations.
04:16 I thought the expectation was different.
04:25 But Chahal's change in the game in the middle overs, understanding that it is important
04:31 to take wickets in the middle overs even after two wickets, whatever the graphs have changed,
04:36 I think it is a big change in the game.
04:41 I think it is a big change in the game.
04:46 I think it is a big change in the game.
04:51 I think it is a big change in the game.
04:54 I think it is a big change in the game.
04:57 I think it is a big change in the game.
05:00 I think it is a big change in the game.
05:03 I think thinking power is very different from others.
05:06 I think his mental strength, his belief is his biggest strength.
05:13 I think his mental strength, his belief is his biggest strength.
05:16 I think his mental strength, his belief is his biggest strength.
05:19 He has not been afraid of anyone, he has not tried to stop the run.
05:22 He has not been afraid of anyone, he has not tried to stop the run.
05:25 He just wants wickets.
05:26 I think that has been his biggest strength.
05:28 He just wants wickets.
05:29 He just wants wickets.
05:30 He just wants wickets.
05:31 Virat, in Australia you had spoken about Bumrah's progression as a test bowler.
05:37 All through the year, last year was about him as a test bowler.
05:40 How easy or tough is it, making that progression from ODIs to tests,
05:45 to maintain what you had in ODIs?
05:47 Do you think his experience in tests last year helped him become the all-rounder,
05:51 all-format pace bowler that he is today?
05:53 Success in test cricket is always something that gives you immense...
05:59 If you look at Shammi, Bhuvi, these guys are absolutely sure now of what they want to do in test cricket.
06:05 And Bumrah's one year in test cricket, I think is a difference in his mindset.
06:10 He believes that the length ball is something that he can nick people off with.
06:14 Whether it's a flat pitch, whether it's assisting bowlers or not,
06:17 he can nick you off on any wicket and he has that belief now.
06:20 Which, if as a batsman I know a bowler has that kind of belief,
06:23 he's not going to do anything different to me.
06:26 He's just going to bowl consistently and still can get me out with good balls.
06:30 So, as I said, the way he's bowling right now, it's so, so good to see.
06:35 Because when you see a batsman literally clueless against him,
06:40 and he's actually rushing people.
06:42 I mean, to be honest, I haven't seen Hashim get out like that in one-day cricket.
06:46 He's been so dominant.
06:47 He might play shots and get out, but to get guys out like that, just rushing them a bit,
06:52 I think it's a great thing and it's a testimony to his hard work.
06:56 He's very, very disciplined.
06:57 He's working really hard at practice, in the gym, with his diet, with his rest.
07:02 He understands that this is his time and he's making the most of it.
07:06 So, hats off. He's brilliant.
07:08 He has the right attitude towards the game and he's going to be a massive factor for us here.
07:13 You know, as a batsman, when you face Bumrah in the nets, what kind of problems does he pose?
07:18 I mean, does he make you unsure of your footwork?
07:20 What kind of problems does a batsman face?
07:23 Well, one thing you know with facing Jasprit is that you have to play good cricketing shots against him.
07:31 And you have to back your technique against him.
07:34 Because if you're hesitant, even a little bit, he senses that and then he's all over you.
07:39 I mean, if he senses someone's not enjoying the short ball in the nets,
07:42 he'll make sure that, you know, that guy gets it in that session.
07:46 So, what you see him bowling in the match,
07:48 he bowls exactly like that to us in the nets.
07:50 He doesn't care who's standing in front of him.
07:52 He will bounce people. He will try to get people bowled.
07:55 He will york people with the new ball.
07:57 And that's the reason for his consistency.
07:59 He doesn't change his game just because he's in nets compared to game.
08:03 He goes in with match intensity.
08:04 He'll do short and sharp.
08:06 But those 15 minutes, you have to make sure that you're on top of your game.
08:09 Otherwise, you know, it can be trouble.
08:11 So, he, I mean, he keeps all the batsmen really, really focused on what they need to do,
08:17 which is a back and forth thing.
08:18 I mean, for a batsman, it's beautiful to face a guy like that who bowls with match intensity
08:22 and he's looking to get you out.
08:23 So, when you play well against him, you walk out with more confidence in today's day.
08:28 So, I think he's, as I said, he's just brilliant the way he's progressed
08:32 and hopefully he can keep going.
08:34 Virat, we had to wait a little bit to play the match.
08:38 And today we got to bowl 50 overs, 48 overs to bat,
08:42 6 overs to bowl, 6 bowlers, Mahi got to bat.
08:46 So, is it good?
08:47 Because everyone has a nerve to bat, to bowl.
08:51 So, was this match good?
08:53 It was very good.
08:54 I think it was a very balanced game for us.
08:56 We started well, we started well in the field, we started well with the ball.
09:00 In the first 10 overs, you need wickets, you get 2 wickets.
09:03 In the middle overs, you need wickets, you get 5 there.
09:06 So, in the death overs, again 2 breakthroughs from Bhuvi.
09:11 So, I think from that point of view, we had a complete performance in the first half.
09:15 Then in batting, we had a template to make 100 out of the top 3.
09:19 The rest of the partnerships were around that player.
09:22 So, that happened. Rohit's innings were amazing.
09:24 There were partnerships around him.
09:26 KL looked good when he was playing.
09:28 MS looked in very good form.
09:31 As Hardik finished, we want him to stay in such a zone
09:34 that he can play game-changing innings regularly for the team.
09:38 So, I think from that point of view, we had a very complete performance.
09:43 You can say it was a bit slow because the pitch was such that we couldn't play expressive cricket like we do.
09:50 But I think we showed our maturity, our experience.
09:54 We played so many matches, so how can we play in this condition?
09:57 So, we are actually very satisfied.
09:59 If it was a game of 340-330, you can't measure whether you showed composure or not.
10:05 But here we got tested through and through.
10:07 And winning such a match, being like this in the first match, I think the team will get a lot of confidence from that.
10:12 I think we will win the game.
10:13 [Music]
Comments