WTC final a culmination of hard work of six years: Virat Kohli | Cricket News – Times of India

Ahead of departure to UK for WTC final and England series, skipper Virat Kohli plays down lack of preparation time and wants team to relax
MUMBAI: In what will potentially be the perfect culmination of a five-year journey, during which India consistently remained at the top of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test rankings and ended up recording some historic series wins, Virat Kohli’s team is now heading to England to play the inaugural final of the World Test Championship (WTC).
The skipper, like every other player in the 24-member squad that took flight on Wednesday night, was elated at the very thought of landing in Southampton – the venue for the WTC final. Ranked No. 1, India will play second ranked New Zealand for the trophy in a six-day Test – an extra day kept aside as reserve – beginning June 18.

“This (final) holds a lot of value, especially with it being the first of its kind and that too in the toughest format. All of us take a lot of pride in playing Test cricket and the way we’ve progressed as a side,” Kohli said hours before the team’s departure.
“For all of us, as a unit, those who’ve been part of the Test side for many years, this is like an accumulation of all the hard work – not just for the duration of the championship but of the last five, six years since we started coming up the ranks and building as a side. We’re just very happy to play this final,” he added.

In the decade gone by, England is perhaps the one destination that has challenged this Indian team like no other. Now, with New Zealand playing two Test matches there ahead of the WTC final and conditions ‘typically Kiwi’ in the United Kingdom, much has been spoken about how India may find the going tough, especially with warm-up games not being available. Kohli, though, is hardly sweating.
“I think it’s all in the head and how you look at the situation. It’s not the first time we’re playing in England. We all know what the conditions are like and even if you are used to the conditions, if you don’t enter the field in the right frame of mind, you’re going to nick the first ball or you’re going to find it difficult picking wickets.

“I think the hunger and desire to be there and play the finals is important. We don’t have issues with even four practice sessions heading into the game. We’re sure about what we can do as a team. We’ve played a lot in England and are well-aware of the conditions, so we’re not bothered by them at all. We just want to get there and make the most of the opportunity at hand,” the skipper added.
He doesn’t see England as some kind of ‘final frontier’ and instead wants his team to “relax” and enjoy the fact that it’ll be playing the first-ever WTC final. “It’s a great opportunity to reflect and relax. Just for the guys to roam around freely, considering that we will have a five-Test series coming (versus England). It will give us time to regroup and that is required before an important series like this. I don’t think winning in England is a final frontier,” he said.