Expect boys to focus on fielding, not just batting or bowling: Virat Kohli

Hamilton, Feb 4:  India skipper Virat Kohli sets his standards on the field and has made it clear that he expects the same from his teammates. The recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand saw the Indian players putting on a dismal show on the field and the skipper has said that there can be no excuse and the boys need to put in an improved performance.

"We definitely have recognized it as something that, if you look at the average age of this team, it's 27 max. So we should be fielding way better than what we have. I think the standards of fielding overall were not that good from either side. T20 cricket it can happen because the game is so fast-paced," Kohi said.

"So once you get into a nervous zone, it's very difficult to get out of it. It's moving so quickly and the ball keeps coming to you.

While Kohli did defend his boys to an extent saying that mistakes can happen in the fast paced T20 format, he was quick to add that the team has also made mistakes in the 50-over format and there have been talks on the same in the dressing room so that such mistakes aren't repeated.

"Even in one-day cricket, we have had performances that we are not proud of and there's no hiding from it. We've spoken about it so many times. You certainly expect a young bunch of guys who are very fit and very, very good fielders to do the job for you in the field collectively and not just focus on batting or bowling. It's about taking all three skills seriously and committing to it like bowling or batting," he said.

But Kohli once again said that one cannot expect immediate results on the field and the team is headed in the right direction as far as fielding is concerned.

"With fielding it's not a matter of execution or result immediately. Things can be taken for granted. That's something that we want to stay away from. The team's heading in the right direction, whatever is lacking we need to be able to correct and move forward," he explained.