Shikhar Dhawan Or Abhinav Mukund Should Treat Situation As Opportunity: Virat Kohli

Shikhar Dhawan replaced regular Test opener Murali Vijay after he suffered a wrist injury in the India squad before the team left for the long Sri Lanka tour. However, captain Virat Kohli has some advice for Dhawan or Abhinav Mukund, whoever opens alongside KL Rahul in the first Test in Galle. Kohli felt the two should treat it as opportunity and not feel the pressure to perform. "Every player comes to the team wanting to perform. Injuries are unfortunate part of sport. Vijay was back from rehab and played a game and told selectors he was not match fit. That is the kind of culture being created. People are honest," Kohli said during his arrival media conference. "Abhinav (Mukund) is there, he has played lot of domestic cricket. Shikhar got a hundred here last time and then he had to miss couple of games.

"(Cheteshwar) Pujara opened in the last Test (in Dharamsala). So guys are looking these scenarios as opportunities rather than getting under pressure. I am sure they are going to be up for it," said Kohli admitting that the team will have to make a mental change from white ball to red ball cricket.

Sri Lanka performed shoddily against Zimbabwe in the recently concluded series where they even lost the ODI rubber. But Kohli insisted that they are not taking Sri Lanka lightly.

"Remember we came here two years back after tour of Australia, we were six or seven in the rankings. That particular series in Sri Lanka gave us belief. It taught us to come together as a team. Everyone in the team knows this is where it all started after losing the first Test in Galle. It was a dent for us. The way we came together in the last tour is iconic for us," said Kohli referring to the 2-1 win in the 2015 Test series, which was his first as full-time captain.

Sri Lanka are a team in transition but Kohli expects them to put up more than a fight.

Sri Lanka senior spinner Rangana Herath took 15 wickets in the last series two years with seven of them coming in the victorious Galle Test.

"He is such a good bowler. If you don't find a solution to tackle him, then he will do what he did at Galle. You have to stay a step ahead of the opposition and find ways to counter it. If mistakes happen consistently and then you are not improving as a side," Kohli stated.

Ravi Shastri insisted that his team will play fearless cricket.

(With PTI inputs)