Centurion (South Africa): Indian skipper Virat Kohli yesterday said that the players need to put in more efforts as the team cannot afford to play loose shots. “I don’t think we need to panic because of collapses. People need to apply themselves much better, whether you are playing five batsmen or six. Even if we are playing six batsmen, you can’t afford to go out there and play loose shots”, he said.

“You still have to have a solid technique and go out there and be ready to face. Bowling spells which are going to be difficult, we need to embrace that”, he added.

However, Kohli didn’t mention whether or not there will be a change in the playing eleven.

“So, I don’t think anyone needs to panic on that front and as far as your opening combination goes, we are going to decide at the end of the practice session today”, the skipper said.

“No need to panic as a batting unit. We played well for a long time. We also played away well in a recent couple of years. So, we just need to adapt and apply ourselves better when we go out to bat”, he continued.

Talking about the South African pitches, Kohli emphasised that team needs to have intent because the kind of bowling attack South Africa has, especially on these pitches they get extra bounce and they get extra pace off the wicket.

“You can’t be in a zone of not having the intent and see off 35-40 overs. You need to find the perfect balance to do well in South Africa especially where there is more bounce”, he said.

Heading into the match tomorrow, South Africa will aim to wrap the three-match Test series. India, on the other hand, will look to bounce back to keep themselves alive in the series.  The second test between India and South Africa begins today at the Centurion.