'Felt like an IPL game on walking out'- Virat Kohli on playing under lights at the Eden Gardens

Team India completed their demolition job of the Bangladesh cricket team to bring up their fourth consecutive victory by an innings. It was a great occasion at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. A record number of people turned up on each of the three days to witness India’s first-ever Day/Night Test with the pink ball.

And, as usual, true to their reputation, the Indian fast bowlers turned up the heat with their craft, skills, and hostility. Ishant Sharma claimed nine wickets in the match while Umesh Yadav notched a five-wicket haul in the second innings. But, apart from the fast bowlers, the Indian fans were treated to another masterly Test hundred by captain Virat Kohli; this time while facing the pink cherry.

The Indian captain certainly enjoyed the challenge of playing against the moving pink ball under the lights. Speaking to the media in the post-match press conference, Kohli admitted that while walking out to bat under lights, he felt like an IPL game, and the first feeling was to smash the ball from the get-go.

However, the Delhi-born had to remind himself that one had to remain compact. The Indian captain also alluded to the difficulty faced by the batsman during the twilight phase and reckoned it to be another challenge that the batsmen will have to counter in the future.

“Under lights, it was a different experience. First, when I walked out, I felt like the IPL game atmosphere and you feel like smashing the first ball. But you have to remind yourself that you have to play compact. As a batsman, your set up changes. Even if you are set and you are batting well, as soon as it gets dark and the lights are on, you can be in trouble very quickly. Luckily, I went in when the lights were on and I did not have to go through that transition but I think that will be another challenge in the future” Kohli was quoted as saying.

Virat Kohli reveals the advice that Sachin Tendulkar gave him

Virat also stated the point made by Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar during their chat on the first day. According to Virat, Tendulkar had noted that one will have to treat the second session of the Day-Night as one would normally treat the opening session of a traditional five-day game, something the Indian captain found pretty “interesting”.

“I spoke to Sachin paaji on the evening of the first day and he made a very interesting point that probably with the pink, you will have to treat the second session like the morning session. When it is getting darker, the ball starts to swing and seam and everything. So, the first session, you invariably play like you play from lunch to tea in a normal timing Test match and the second session would be like a morning session and the last session is like that evening session. So, your planning changes, your declaration, strategies and timing, everything changes,” he added.

This was Team India’s last Test match of the year. The next time we will see Kohli’s men in whites, it will be during their tour to New Zealand in February 2020.

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