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Virat Kohli confident India will bounce back from batting nightmare

Kohli, who scored just four, admitted India lost their way, with the wickets falling so quickly that 'no one could make any sense of it'
Last Updated 20 December 2020, 10:49 IST

India captain Virat Kohli insisted Saturday he was "very, very confident" his team would bounce back from their worst-ever batting display, blaming a poor mindset for the side throwing away the first Test against Australia.

The visitors were skittled out for a humiliating 36 in their second innings -- the team's all-time lowest Test score -- to lose the day-night game in Adelaide by eight wickets inside three days.

Compounding their problems, Kohli will now head home for the birth of his first child, missing the final three Tests, while fast bowler Mohammad Shami has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series with a fracture.

Despite this, Kohli said they could fix their problems before the second Test in Melbourne next week.

"I definitely would have loved it if we had won this game, with me leaving, but this is Test cricket and anything can happen at any stage," he said.

"I am confident that the team is going to bounce back strong in Melbourne and a few of the guys are going to realise their true characters and how they can step up for the team.

"I don't think we have ever had a worse batting performance, so we can only go upwards from here."

After starting the day on nine for one, India capitulated to some sizzling bowling from Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in less than 22 overs, with no batsman reaching double figures.

Kohli, who scored just four, admitted that India lost their way, with the wickets falling so quickly that "no one could make any sense of it".

"To be honest, there were some good balls but the ball didn't do anything drastic. I think it was the mindset, it was very evident," he said.

"It felt like the runs were so difficult to come by and the bowlers got confident. I think it was a combination of lack of intent and the bowlers hitting their areas."

Although the scorecard made for dismal reading, Kohli said that he had never been one to dwell too long on the past.

"Playing at the highest level, there will definitely be collapses again and again and we have to accept our mistakes and understand what we have to work on," he said.

"We don't feel we are vulnerable to getting bowled out so cheaply... I don't think it is anything alarming."

The second Test in Melbourne gets under way on Dec. 26, followed by Sydney and Brisbane.

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(Published 19 December 2020, 10:12 IST)

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