Virat Kohli savours first Test victory as captain
COLOMBO: Savouring a crushing 278-run series-levelling victory over Sri Lanka on Monday, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said that his first Test win as captain of a young team is very satisfying especially after the loss in Galle.
“It’s pretty satisfying especially knowing we came pretty close twice before at Adelaide and Galle. I think the Galle defeat hurt us in the right way. It’s a commendable effort by all the boys, to regroup so well after the loss like that knowing that we should have won the game. I think it’s tremendous effort to get yourself together, put yourself in and play the same way again.
“To capitalise and improve on the same situation that we failed to in the first Test shows the guys are keen to improve and hungry to win. As a captain that is very satisfying,” he said.
Kohli said nothing makes him happier than seeing that they were able to bowl out the rivals twice.
“I’m more pleased with the bowlers taking 20 wickets rather than guys getting hundreds. That’s usually been the case for a very long time to have someone getting the runs. The session we had in the first innings where we literally squeezed them was one of the best bowling session I’ve been part of with this Indian cricket team.
“In the past two years, that was easily our best bowling effort as a group, especially in terms of partnerships. I’m really happy for them and in a game like today, we actually closed it off very convincingly. That actually gives them more confidence. Next time they go around, they will go with the belief they can take crucial wickets,” he said.
Kohli gave a thumbs up to spinner Ravichandran Aswin’s aggressive style of bowling.
Off-spinner Ashwin has picked 17 wickets in two matches and for second successive time in this series, India were able to achieve their target of taking 20 wickets.