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India are set to clash with England for a three-match ODI series starting July 14, and star batter Virat Kohli would be returning to the Indian colours after almost six months.
English conditions have created problems for Men in Blue as the Shreyas Iyer-led side suffered defeats in three consecutive T20Is after the first match was washed out. But former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that Kohli will come prepared as he leaves no stone unturned in his practice before any big challenge. Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Bangar shared fascinating behind-the-scenes insights from India's preparation ahead of the 2018 tour of England. As India currently battles the English side in an intense series on their ongoing tour of England, Bangar reflected on the intense technical and mental grind from the past where India bounced back from previous failures, highlighting how Kohli's obsession with perfection and rigorous simulation sessions helped him conquer the moving ball. He said, "When you go to England, the entire game comes down to two things: how well you counter the swing, and how late you can play the ball. Because Virat Kohli did not have a great run during the 2014 tour, he put in an immense amount of work during 2017-18 to fix that. Our routine was brutal; we would hit a Mumbai ground by 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning just to chase the early dew. We wanted to start as early as possible so we could replicate English conditions, utilising the heavy morning atmosphere and the natural moisture on an uncovered pitch." Bangar added, "If the sun came out and the moisture on the wicket started dropping, we would literally pour extra water onto the surface just to keep the ball snaking around. Virat did that gruelling practice repeatedly, and Ajinkya Rahane joined in for a few sessions as well. Because three or four of our core batsmen managed to fine-tune their batting through those exact simulations, we were highly successful in winning matches over there." India will start the ODI series with a match at Edgbaston, then the second match in Cardiff on July 16. The final match of the series will be played at the iconic Lord's on July 19. (ANI)
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