IND vs SL 2017: Virat Kohli pleased with India's complete performance in the series

India recorded their 9th consecutive Test series victory under Virat Kohli's captaincy.

Forthcoming South Africa series will be a stern test for Kohli's troops | Getty

The third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi ended in a draw as the visitors put on an amazing fight on the last day after being reduced to 31/3 on Day 4. Sri Lanka had their work cut out as they needed to bat the entire day to deny India 2-0 series win. At one point in time, Lankans were tottering at 147/5 before Roshan Silva (74*) and Niroshan Dickwella (44*) combined well to share an unbeaten 152-run stand for the sixth wicket. Dhananjaya de Silva also notched up his third Test ton but was retired hurt.

Team India, however, registered yet another series win (1-0) and their 9th on the trot under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. Seeing the success of his team and his individual performances in recent times, skipper Kohli as expected is on cloud nine. The 29-year-old finished the series with the scores of 0, 104*, 213, 243, 50.

“It was a good series for me personally. I was hitting the ball pretty well. It was a revelation for me as well that I can play the same way in Tests as I do in ODIs, pushing the game forward. When I wasn’t captain, it was very difficult for me to think of the situation,” said Kohli in the post-match presentation.

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Virat though was dissatisfied with the eventual outcome and wanted his side to grab the opportunities which came their way.

“Feels like a disappointment. They played really well. The pitch got really tired by the end. In hindsight, if we had grabbed our chances, we could have pushed harder. Slip catching and fielding, still need to work on it. Firstly, from his (Rahane) initial days, he’s always fielded at gully. Gully is a very difficult position to field at. So we trust him there, with his reflexes,” he said.

On being asked about Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain said: “We have always believed that he [Rohit] can change the game in the lower middle order. He’s grabbed his chances really well. Everyone’s hitting the ball really well. There are few areas for us to work at, but the batting and bowling has been on point.”

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Kohli will not feature in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and he commented that it was an ideal time to take a break prior to the all-important South Africa tour.

“Last time I took a break, it was very difficult to handle. But my body is wanting it right now. It has taken a toll in the last couple of years, and right now is the perfect time to take a break before South Africa,” concluded Kohli.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 07 Dec, 2017

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