'Provoked': Virat Kohli's swipe at England ahead of third Test
Virat Kohli has reignited a war of words with England ahead of the third Test, saying the hosts 'provoked' a match-winning reaction from his team at Lord's.
India took a 1-0 lead in the five-game series after claiming a 151-run win in the second Test, earning the last laugh after an extended war of words in the middle.
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Kohli and Mohammed Siraj were central to India's bout of verbals, while England's Ollie Robinson and James Anderson appeared to be involved in several of the exchanges.
The latter had also been on the receiving end of some hostile no-ball bouncers from Jasprit Bumrah.
"It just showed this team is not going to back down and take a backward step when provoked," Kohli said ahead of the third Test.
"What is said on the field and what's done in the moment, gives you extra motivation, as I said after the game, to get together as a team even more strongly.
"We play together, we play to win and we don't let anyone or any opposition just take us lightly.
"We know and they know that we are always going to compete and find ways to win games of cricket."
When pressed on how India had been provoked, Kohli said: "I cannot give you the details of the words that were spoken.
"I think it's for the cameras and the stump mics to pick that up for both teams, equally, and then be analysed.
"It happens in the moment and when you're playing competitive sport, these kinds of things happen, but it's what you do after that situation, or how you get up from that situation that matters.
"For us this is a new Test match. This is a fresh beginning and it's another chance to show what we can do as a team."
Will India play a spinner in third Test?
India have left leading spinner Ravichandran Ashwin out of the last two games, favouring a four-pronged seam attack backed up by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
But they will assess the Headingley pitch on Wednesday morning before making a final call on their attack.
England are making their first Test appearance in Leeds since Ben Stokes led an unforgettable Ashes victory over Australia two years ago.
None of Kohli's squad have ever played Test cricket at the venue but he remained unmoved by its reputation as a place where big moments happen.
"I'm not an individual who likes to attach too much importance to things that are on the outside for us, it's just a Test match to be played against England, be it any stadium, anywhere in India or in England," he said.
"What's happened here, what hasn't...it's something we are not focused on because all of our energies are just focused on what we want to do as a team over the next five days."
with AAP
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