India vs Pakistan final: Players look within before big game

LONDON: If it's India versus Pakistan, it must be each man for himself. While collective training and strategizing is all very fine, cricket can often be a lonely sport at times, making it imperative that players devise their own ways of getting, and staying, in the zone.
Wish Team India best of luck
Ahead of the pressure game, it appeared both teams had stopped strategizing and closed all discussion on opposition bowlers and batsmen.Instead, hours before the start, it was time for contemplation, time to look deep within, to work out individual techniques and focus on individual strengths.
In moments like these, each cricketer must have his own manner of psyching himself up and devise his own way to shut out the noise.
Asked how he prioritized before a big game, India captain Virat Kohli made it clear he could only speak for himself. “The biggest thing is to stay off social media! Honestly, it sounds funny, but it's so important to stay away from those things, to connect to things that matter, the things that a sportsman needs to take care of.
“You know, connecting to yourself within, taking a bit more time to do stuff which you don't normally get to do, stay away from everything. It's tough, but you have to make that sort of effort to stay in a good zone and a good mindset. I've learnt a lot how to handle certain things, (but) that can only happen when you're able to connect with yourself first,” Kohli said.
Kohli also revealed that as a group, his team coped with the pressure of such games with a simple technique: denial. “We haven't spoken about this game in a different way. We've trained the same way. People are just doing the normal things that they do. The more relaxed you stay in these kind of situations, the better. It helps you make better decisions when you're composed and calm.”
Think again, Kohli, for Pakistan may have a totally different technique.
At one level, it seemed the two teams' mental preparations were identical, with Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur saying, “We've tried to be normal. We dissected India a lot before the game at Edgbaston (which Pakistan lost), and we've sort of backtracked on that now. We're solidifying what we did really well. Tomorrow is going to be about us rather than the opposition. We've concentrated more this time on our own gameplans.”
However, while Kohli's India are seeking their own island of `calm' to facilitate decision-making under pressure, Pakistan are thriving on `excitement', according to Arthur, making their group strategies polar opposites.“The guys are genuinely excited. They are under no illusion as to what the expectation is from them. Before the Edgbaston game, I thought they were really, really calm. Well, they're very, very excited now. There's a hell of a good vibe in that dressing room!”
The coup de grace was delivered by Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who “thanked” social media for stirring up a storm in Pakistan's favour and encouraging the team! To each his own method, then, as long as it works.