After the shock of skipper MS Dhoni’s resignation, India’s new Test captain Virat Kohli will encourage his team to play positively and not to back down in the face of more Australian aggression.

Middle order linchpin Kohli will lead the team in the fourth and final Test starting in Sydney on Tuesday after Dhoni’s announcement last week.

“We were all taken aback by his decision because it was so sudden,” Kohli said at the SCG on Monday.

“We had no clue. We never saw it coming, so it was pretty shocking.

“There’s so much to learn from him, especially in tough situations. His composure, his decision making at important times.

“These are the things which are priceless any captain would love to have them. I hope I can be as calm as him, but everyone has different styles.”

Kohli led the team in the first Test in Adelaide when Dhoni was injured.

“There were quite a few things that I sat down and analysed in Adelaide that can be improved on and I’ve thought about them in the past few days,” Kohli said.

“What are the things that I can correct from Adelaide, the mistakes I made in that game? Hopefully I’ll get those right and try to make the right decisions in every situation out there in the middle.”

He said India would play positively under his leadership and stressed they wouldn’t back down in the final Test of a series notable for numerous on-field spats.

“It’s important for the players to know that we need to be in a positive frame of mind, a line doesn’t need to be crossed,” Kohli said.

“But we are not here to back down from any sort of confrontation or any sort of battle.

“You will still see positive cricket and the same aggressive intent.”