Kohli credits bowlers for victory

 Despite being made to do toil hard that showed hints of another Indian slip-up, skipper Virat Kohli said he never doubted that his side would lose the game.

“Never,” was Kohli’s instant reply when asked if he thought the match was slipping away from their hands. “I didn’t think at any stage that we would lose the game because even if you have a strong partnership you have to sit there and think about how the game goes.

“In Test cricket, on a fifth day, there will be 100-run partnerships. You will have that one opportunity or that one chance to get someone out and you have to make sure that you grab that.

“So it was all about concentrating more on that situation rather than thinking about that we might lose from this situation. That thought never crossed my mind even if opposition is trying to be too aggressive. I think it’s very important to keep believing that you will get those couple of chances and it is important to grab them,” added Kohli.

The 26-year-old, leading a side that is slowly emerging from transition for a full series for the first time in his career, said this win belonged to the bowlers. “As I said, to win a Test match you need to take 20 wickets. The way they have bowled in partnerships in this series has been something that has stood out for me. As a captain making changes and bowling in partnerships has been very very pleasing because it makes your job very easy. Because you don’t have to tell the guys what to do because they understand one guy is striking, getting wickets so I need to go out there and control runs and create that pressure. So that communication between all the bowlers has really helped. I think this series belongs to the bowlers because they have been outstanding apart from Cheteshwar (Pujara’s) knock which was world class, one of the best I have seen in Test cricket.”

This is the first time an Indian team has come back from 0-1 down to win a Test series abroad and also the second side to score a series triumph on Sri Lankan soil. Having toed the aggression mantra all throughout, Kohli said the team will always play to win.
“I think winning is always really encouraging for the squad and specially the way we have won this series should be the right kind of catalyst for us. We maintain that drawing a Test match or thinking of those sort of things has to be the last option.

“They have responded beautifully and there is nothing better than winning. Guys can have their individual performances and walk away with that happiness but unless you win as a team, you won’t really get that positivity around the group as a Test team.”