Virat Kohli has said India are looking at being 1-0 down against Australia not as a setback but as an opportunity to improve ahead of the second Test in Bengaluru. India's 333-run defeat in Pune snapped a winning streak that lasted 19 Tests, and Kohli said it was inevitable for teams to lose focus on their weaknesses during extended runs of good results.
"I think it's an opportunity to understand what other things we still need to work on," Kohli said, on the eve of the second Test. "We are all professional cricketers. But sometimes when you are winning a lot of games, you don't tend to focus on points that need to be improved as such. Because someone or the other is stepping up.
"When the whole team does not execute the things that you want to, you understand the things that you need to work on as a team. That's always a good sign. We got to know a lot more things that we need to still keep working on to be the top side in the world. As I said last time, you can't take anything for granted at any stage of a Test match. It's something that you look [at] as an opportunity to learn rather than a setback. I think these things are also important for your cricket journey."
Kohli said India had not deviated from their usual training routines before the Bengaluru Test, and stressed on the importance of playing without inhibitions or fear of things going wrong.
"We don't necessarily push people to practice in different ways because every individual has his own way of preparing for the game," he said. "But in terms of mindset we have made a conscious push to go out there and express ourselves without thinking about 'what if'. Individuals want to play their natural game and they should; they want to bowl a certain way and they should, not thinking about the outcome necessarily.
"There won't be any hesitation from here on till the end of the series from our side. That's something we've addressed. Practice has always been similar, win or lose. That's how you become consistent as a team, when you repeat the same things day in and day out. We have a set pattern of practise we always execute before every Test match and this time is no different. When you lose because of lack of intent, those things need to be addressed and we've done that."
Kohli didn't divulge the combination India would play in Bengaluru, but hinted that there might be surprises, while answering a question about whether they were thinking of leaving out Jayant Yadav, who was the least penetrative of India's three spinners on a square turner in Pune.
"We have our ideas; we will go in with the best combination possible," Kohli said. "Jayant has been outstanding. You can't put too much pressure on a guy who's played just one series. He's been brilliant so far; the way he's grabbed his spot has been outstanding. He's a very intelligent cricketer.
"All of us go through the grind. We have good games, bad games, off days as well. Pune wasn't his best game. I won't sit here and judge him because he's played only a few games but he knows how to turn things around and get back into that mindset he started his first series with. I'm sure he'll get back into that zone. As far as the combinations are concerned, we are studying a lot of options. Eventually we'll come to a conclusion this evening, on what is the XI we want to go with. But yes, all kinds of possibilities tomorrow. Might be a few surprises."