Virat Kohli was a disappointed captain as England registered a series-levelling 6-wicket victory over India in the second game of the three-match ODI series at MCA Stadium, Pune on Friday (March 26).
Chasing 337 to win, England rode on Jonny Bairstow’s 112-ball 124 and Ben Stokes’ blazing 99 off 52 balls to overhaul the target in 43.3 overs.
The duo of Bairstow and Stokes made the mockery of Indian bowlers by adding 175 runs in just 117 deliveries.
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"I think we set quite a decent total on the board. It was going to be challenging if we stayed in the game for long periods. I think we started off really well with the new ball but still England found a way to get a 100 run partnership," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
"We didn't execute too well but I thought they batted brilliantly tonight. It was some of the most amazing batting you'll see when chasing. They totally blew us away during that partnership of Jonny and Ben Stokes. We didn't even have a chance during that partnership," he added.
Asked if dew was a big factor, Kohli said: "I don't think the dew played any role at all. The ball wasn't difficult to hold. You could say the wicket settles down a bit under lights but that's no excuse.
"When two of the best teams in the world collide, one of them is going to win convincingly. Last time we came back. This time England didn't give us anything at all.
"It's quite rare that if you play with that strike rate and give no chances. It shows the quality of batting."
Asked to bat first, the hosts piled up 336/6 in 50 overs on the back of KL Rahul’s 108 off 114 balls, Rishabh Pant’s 40-ball 77 and Hardik Pandya’s 16-ball 35.
Commenting on the batting performance, the Indian skipper said: "We lost two wickets early on and needed a partnership. That happened with KL and myself. KL carried on, really happy for him. Then Rishabh changed the game, and Hardik finished it off as well."
Earlier, Virat Kohli registered another ODI half-century (66) after India lost both the opening batters cheaply.
When enquired about his century drought in recent times, Kohli said: "I never played for 100s in my life, that's probably why I ended up getting so many (70) in such little time.
"It's all about contributing to the team cause. If the team doesn't win when you get three figures it doesn't mean anything. You're not going to sit back at the end of your career and look at numbers, it's more about how you played the game."
The series-deciding third ODI will also be played in Pune on Sunday (March 28).
(With PTI inputs)
