Lots of positives from the series: Kohli

Virat Kohli very nearly passed his very first assignment as the complete skipper of the Indian team without a blot. Despite losing the third and final ODI by five runs, the Delhiite said there were more positives to take than the negatives in a series India won 2-1.

“Very pleased to see Kedar (Jadhav) bat the way he did, very pleased to see Hardik (Pandya) perform with bat and ball. Happy to see Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) and Mahi (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) bat together and string that big partnership. So I think lot of positives for us as a team,” Kohli said at the post match press conference here on Sunday.

“Even Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) with the ball in the second game, to win that game for us. To pull it back was outstanding, when it was difficult to grip the ball. And even today the partnership was outstanding between Kedar and Hardik, when we were 170-odd for five with all the experienced guys back. But I think these guys have shown character and stuck it out whenever we've been under pressure. And that to me is the standout of this series as a captain. The way the new guys have performed and the way MS and Yuvi have batted.”

England skipper Eoin Morgan, sporting a beaming smile after surviving another Indian fightback, hailed man of the match Ben Stokes, who slammed an unbeaten 39-ball 57 with the bat and then picked up 3/63 with the ball, including the key wickets of Kohli and Pandya. “He's an incredible player to have in the side. I always say it's a luxury to have a player like him in your team. He gives you everything he got on the day, which is a lot. And we don’t take that for granted.”