"You need to keep your ego in the pocket" - Virat Kohli on playing in England

After Virat Kohli and his men pulled off a historic triumph against the England team at Lord's last week, the action will shift to Headingley for the 3rd Test of the 5-match series.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the 3rd Test, Virat Kohli shed light on how a batsman's mindset is what matters the most while playing in English conditions. Speaking in this regard, Kohli said:

"You never get set in England, you need to keep your ego in your pocket and come when you're playing here. The conditions in England aren't like other places where one can get set after they reach 30-40 and be confident of hitting the ball in any direction. When you're in England, you need to keep batting the way you bat for your first 20 runs, and then repeat the template till you can."

Kohli added:

"This is the mental skill and discipline required to succeed in English conditions. If you don't keep patience, you'll get out no matter how experienced you may be or how many runs you may have scored. The batsman's mindset on that particular day is what matters the most. The margin of error being very low, I believe these conditions are the most difficult to bat on, in the entire world."

There's literally no substitute to hard work. pic.twitter.com/bvN4BevnEg

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 23, 2021

History doesn't matter: Virat Kohli on India's 2002 Headingley triumph

The last time India and England squared off at Headingley was back in 2002. The Test remains fresh in the minds of Indian cricket fans courtesy of splendid knocks from Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

When asked if India's previous performance at the ground motivates the current team, Virat Kohli said:

"Honestly, I don't think too much about history. What matters for us as a team is taking good decisions in the present moment we are in. Remembering the past or chasing it is something we don't believe in as a team."

Kohli also highlighted that mindset is what matters and that his team largely focuses on keeping their head and confidence high in all situations. Speaking about the team's approach, Kohli said:

"We have a set process, we know that we need to follow it and we prepare accordingly. History doesn't guarantee you anything. If you haven't won anywhere, it doesn't mean you still can't. The same goes for losing as well. It all depends on the mindset, and we as a team look to focus on that."

Virat Kohli (in Press) said "Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul has been outstanding for us, opening combination is most important factor in overseas - they have put us in winning position in both tests".

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 24, 2021

After a poor run that has seen Virat Kohli slip down to #5 in the ICC Test batsmen rankings, the Indian captain will want to use the Headingly Test to return form. His contributions will be essential for Team India to take a 2-0 lead in the series.