IND vs AUS 3rd Test: We need to put better batting performance, urges Virat Kohli

IND vs AUS 3rd Test: The Indian captain made it clear that neither his team's Adelaide victory nor the Perth defeat will have any bearing when the Melbourne Test starts

Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Indian skipper Virat Kohli urged his batsmen to acknowledge the efforts of the bowling unit. The skipper himself gave a masterclass on a mysterious Perth track while Cheteshwar Pujara played a decisive role in team's win Adelaide. Besides Kohli and Pujara, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane held the nerve on some occasion, however, the rest of the batters failed to contribute.

On the other hand, the bowling unit has delivered an expected, scalping 40 wickets in four innings.

“It is very important for batsmen to stand up because as everyone can see, our bowling has been performing really well. Otherwise, the bowlers won't be able to do anything with the totals that we have been compiling,” skipper Kohli said on the eve of the third Test.

“If we are batting second, we will try to take the lead or get as close to the opposition total as possible. If you equal a big score, then it becomes a second-innings' match and if you take a good first-innings lead, then you can capitalize on that.

“The batsmen must step up collectively. I won't say individually whether someone needs to do that or not, but as a batting unit, we have to definitely put up a better performance,” Kohli sent out a loud and clear message for his batting unit.

The Indian captain made it clear that neither his team's Adelaide victory nor the Perth defeat will have any bearing when the Melbourne Test starts.

“As a team, I don't think whether you are 2-0 up or 2-0 down or 1-1, what's happened in the past has no significance at all to what's going to happen in the next two Tests or what's going to happen in the next Test which is quite immediate.

“The key is to stay in the moment, stay in the present, understand and remember why you won the first Test, which was because of us being in the present moment,” the skipper reiterated what he has often stressed.

Last time when India played at the MCG, the Test ended in a draw even though Kohli and Rahane had scored hundreds. This time, the Indian skipper expects that good coverage of grass should keep the surface intact.