Virat Kohli, who had a torrid time with the bat in England in 2014, said that it was the head of the team Ravi Shastri who helped him to perform the way he did on the next tour in 2018. Virat Kohli could only manage 134 runs from five Tests in 2014 while on the next tour, going in as the captain of the side, the right-handed batsman impressed one and all by adjusting to the conditions and scored 593 runs in five games at an average of over 59. In a chat with Mayank Agarwal on BCCI.tv, the India skipper recalled Ravi Shastri’s words before the first tour game of the 2018 tour to England that helped him finish the Test as the highest run-getter among both sides.

“After the 2014 tour (England series) he (Ravi Shastri) called me and Shikhar Dhawan in his room. He told me something which I started practising which is standing outside the crease. He explained the mindset behind it that you should be in control of the space, you’re playing in. And not give the bowlers so many opportunities to get you out,” Kohli told Mayank on the chat show.

“So many dismissals get taken out when you’re standing outside of the crease,” the Indian skipper added.

Recalling a tour game of India’s tour of England in 2018, Kohli said that he forgot that approach of using the crease to his advantage but Shastri noticed that and pointed it out to him.

“First net session we had before a tour game, I was practising something different and then he asked me again why are you not standing outside the crease and then I remembered. I forgot because it was all to do with playing in the most difficult conditions in the world,” Kohli said.

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Kohli said he went back to the nets and did a 40-minute session and it was chalk and cheese for him after that as he was in complete control.

“I did well in the tour game and then obviously it helped me throughout that tour,” he concluded.