Indian captain Virat Kohli lauded his team’s performance in the recent Test win in Centurion against South Africa and said that his unit will pounce at any opportunity to win a Test match and this victory was a testimony to the “all-round side” it has become in the longest format.
Indian team ended their 2021 in grand style by breaching South Africa’s fortress of Centurion, becoming the first Asian side to win a Test at the Supersport Park, winning the first Test of the three-match series by 113 runs.
“Test series in South Africa in any place is not easy and Centurion is obviously the most difficult of them all. We ended up getting a result in four days is a testimony to the fact that we have become the side we have become today and the strength of the squad was on full display,” Kohli told BCCI.tv.
“We were just looking for opportunities to win the game and that’s how we play cricket now and given an opportunity at any stage we will pounce on it,” he added.
KL Rahul scored a brilliant 123 in 1st innings, Mohammad Shami took 8 wickets in the match, completing 200 Test scalps in the process and Jasprit Bumrah took wickets at opportune times, helping India win the match.
Kohli feels the win is a “golden opportunity” for the Indian team to put pressure on the home side in the second Test and eke out a favorable result. India has never won a Test series in South Africa.
“It’s a beautiful position to be in, to be 1-0 up away from home, put the opposition under pressure again in the second Test is a golden opportunity for us and something that every player is looking forward to. This sets us up beautifully for Wanderers, we can go out there and be more positive and optimistic,” he said.
In 2021, India achieved historic success in Australia and came close to winning a Test series in England, Kohli said the side is getting confident with each passing game.
“The new year is a very good marker to analyze how you played your cricket and I think we’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last 2-3 years, especially overseas. We are a side which is getting better and more confident with how much cricket we play,” Kohli said.
(PTI inputs)
