In the days to come, in the ‘away defence’ of their home-won World Champions title, India will need more Kohlis than Trescothicks in the dressing room. (Source: File)

A couple of days back, it was Suresh Raina’s reminder that made Virat Kohli realise that he had been in Australia for three months. Busy thinking about runs, he had been oblivious to the ticking clock, and the flipping calendar. They say time stops when you are in the zone, for Kohli it has flown.

That’s because Kohli isn’t Trescothick. When on tour, he doesn’t start a countdown to the return flight soon after he lands or have it always running in his mind. Used to living out of suitcases since pre-teen days, he is immune to homesickness. In fact, miles away from home he even has found his own backyard. Adelaide is his West Delhi, the Oval his Kotla. At MCG, he has even found a new hairstylist.

Kohli avoids the depressing isolation of hotel rooms and relishes the buzz of a packed stadium. Unlike a majority of cricketers from the past, his evening outing doesn’t take him to an NRI dinner table laden with home-cooked Indian meals. He is seen taking walks, experimenting at restaurants. Kohli is a modern-day pro sportsperson, who is used to being on the road.

In the days to come, in the ‘away defence’ of their home-won World Champions title, India will need more Kohlis than Trescothicks in the dressing room.

At the MCG, a day before India play their second league game against South Africa, the back-to-form batsman, showing the authority of a seasoned traveller, parted with a few secrets of surviving cricket’s long draining journeys. It was a timely talk. Here since November, India, in the second week of the 45-day long World Cup was now playing a team that has always defeated them at the quadrennial. A contrast to the last game, where they had maintained their all-win record against Pakistan.

Kohli spoke about dealing with the ups and downs in alien conditions, living in the present and not thinking too far ahead. “It can be very difficult if you start thinking that it’s going to be a four or four-and-and-a-half months’ tour. Raina told me that we completed three months here yesterday. I wasn’t aware. I live in the present. Roaming around a bit is very important because after a while you become restless by staying only in the hotel, you will have mood swings and mentally you won’t be in the right space,” he says.

Before matching wits against an outfit that boasts pacers like Dale Steyn, Morkel and Philander and a top-order batting line-up consisting of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plesis, India need to be in the right mental state. Being pragmatic, would be a good start. Watching them at nets and hearing them off the field, they seem to be hoping for the best and also prepared for the worst.

World Cup winning teams —- let’s keep the Ricky Ponting led teams of 2003 and 2007 out of this, they were freaks —- have historically never let failure trigger self-doubt. Like in the last edition, when India’s loss to South Africa despite Tendulkar’s hundred didn’t thwart their charge to the title.

Despite the repeated losses to South Africa, words like grudge or revenge weren’t uttered by any Indian around MCG. The nationalistic zeal over facing Pakistan, the deep detestation reserved for the Aussies is missing when it comes to the India-SA contest.

Kohli wasn’t being his cocky self. The scowl that he wears when speaking about Warner or Johnson wasn’t there when he lovingly mentioned AB and Dale. They are his friends from Bangalore Royal Challengers. Steyn, he calls as his best South African buddy, someone who always gives him a tight hug when they meet. About AB’s skill, he speaks with unconcealed awe.

“There’s a good reason why Steyn is the best bowler in the world for a while now, and he’s so consistent because he’s a completely different person on and off the field. When not playing, he jokes around but when on field he is very passionate about playing for South Africa,” says Kohli.

Though, there is this one thing that can inspire the Indians. It’s the Big G, the big sprawling MCG. It’s a ground where deep cover or deep mid-wicket can be collectively referred as outback or bush country. Around here, South Africa’s big hitters can’t run away with the game like they do at Johannesburg, the venue with short square boundaries. At MCG, you need to mostly run your runs and with the sun expected to beat down harshly that can be tough. Indian spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, if they bowl intelligently as Kohli said, will be rewarded on this massive ground. If MS Dhoni places the fielders smartly, catches can be held on the boundary line. Anil Kumble, here as ICC invitee for his induction into Hall of Fame, was chatting with India’s supporting staff. Standing on the central square he would point fingers at far ends of the ground suggesting field placement.

The Indians will also get strength from the 80 per cent of the 80,000 in the stands that will be rooting for them. Kohli can’t wait to walk on the turf with the din around him. On the crease, in a jam-packed stadium, screaming fans, for Kohli, its being on a recliner in his living room with chatter of family in the background. This is his home.