Kohli up for Test captaincy pressure

Siddle claimed the 26-year-old will find it daunting but he believes otherwise

ADELAIDE: Indian batsman Virat Kohli said he was ready for the pressure of captaining his first Test match when his side play Australia in next month's opening match at the Gabba.

Kohli will become India's 32nd Test captain with regular skipper MS Dhoni missing the start of the four-Test series in Brisbane on December 4 against the Australians because of a wrist injury.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India said Dhoni would return to the helm for the remaining three Tests of the series.

“Well that's for me to know and for me to experience,” said Kohli in response to Australian paceman Peter Siddle's taunt that the stand-in captain might find the rowdy crowd and added responsibilities ‘a bit daunting’. “I've played against him, he's quite a competitive guy so I'm not surprised there's already some banter starting from that end. I don't mind all that. I love leading the side. I love being captain. I don't see any issues on why I can't be up to the challenge.”

Kohli has filled in for Dhoni in the limited-overs format, but is yet to do so in a Test. However, he believes he can only be as good as the players in his side. “As long as the team backs me and puts in the performances we want, I think I'm going to look good at the end of the day.”

Kohli was empathetic when asked about counterpart Michael Clarke's injury-disrupted lead-up to the first Test. “I've heard about Michael Clarke's hamstring injury,” he said. “It's very unfortunate for a cricketer before a Test series to have that sort of an injury.”

 

 

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