The Indian cricket team visited the Indian High Commission in Wellington on Wednesday, ahead of their upcoming Test series against New Zealand starting Friday (Feb 21).
After being defeated 3-0 in the recently concluded One-Day International (ODI) series, Virat Kohli and his troops would be looking forward to finishing the tour on a high note.
The Indian High Commission hosted a reception for the players and team members, where skipper Kohli expressed gratitude on behalf of his team.
“We are very honored to be here. We want to thank you for inviting us here. Visiting the Indian High Commission is always special; we enjoy meeting our own people,” Kohli said in a video uploaded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Twitter.
Ahead of the Test series against New Zealand, #TeamIndia visits the Indian High Commission in Wellington. 🇮🇳🇳🇿
Talking about mutual admiration and respect between the two countries, listen to what @imVkohli has to say👌. @IndiainNZ pic.twitter.com/H3i7i0z9AW
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 19, 2020
During the limited-overs series, both Kohli and New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson sat on the sidewalks of the boundary line and were seen having a friendly conversation. Kohli recalled the moment and revealed what the conversation was about.
“Something that we have embraced as a team over the last three-four years, and we have reached a stage where every team wants to beat us. New Zealand won’t be any different, but the difference is that there won’t be any spite in it, and that’s one reason why I can sit with Kane on the boundary line and have a conversation midgame about life and not cricket,” Kohli added.
While speaking to the reporters ahead of the first Test, Williamson also disclosed what really happened during his conversation with Kohli.
“It was really interesting the other day to sit down and have a quiet chat on the outfield and share a lot of thoughts that we had and a lot of similar views on the game and slightly different approaches which was really refreshing and quite inspiring as well from a guy who’s leading the way with his tenacious and competitive attitude,” said Williamson.
Williamson also recalled his U19 days and bonding he shares with the Indian captain ever since.
“We go quite a long way back really, to our under-19s, and played against each other in different competitions as well, the international arena and the IPL. And I’ve always admired Virat in a lot of ways for setting benchmarks in the international game,” the Kiwi skipper concluded.
