Australia vs India: Really hurts: Virat Kohli At Loss For Words As He Explains Reason Behind Horror Loss
Published - 19 Dec 2020, 02:55 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:56 PM
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India skipper Virat Kohli was at loss of words to describe his team’s horror batting display after the defeat in the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. India were on the driver’s seat when day three started on Friday. Having taken a handy lead of 53 runs in the first innings, India started the day on 9 for 1.
And it did not take long for India’s batting to explode. India’s batsmen fell like a pack of cards as they were all out for a paltry 36. It is now India’s lowest total in Tests, lower than the 42 they had scored against England way back in 1974. Not a single batsman managed to touch the double-digit mark during the horror batting collapse.
Mayank Agarwal’s 9 was the highest score from the Indians in the second innings. For Australia, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins starred with the ball. The duo completely blew away the visitors and never really gave them a chance to settle down. Hazlewood picked up 5 wickets for just 8 runs while Cummins accounted for 4 wickets.
Australia, in reply, went on to win the game by eight wickets. Chasing a modest 90, they crossed the finishing line in 21 overs. Joe Burns regained his form and scored an unbeaten 51. He hit a six to not only finish the game but also complete his fifty.
Six and fifty for Joe Burns!
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Here’s what Virat Kohli said after the match:
Speaking at the end of the match, Virat Kohli said he was struggling to describe his feelings. The India skipper stated that the defeat hurts as he rued lack of intent with the bat from his teammates. He also
“It’s very hard to put those feeling into words. We had a lead of 60-odd when we arrived. And then just collapsed. Played two days of good cricket to get in a position and then just lose it in an hour. Really hurts. Probably didn’t have enough intent in the batting today. It’s something that needs to be reflected and learnt from,” said Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli further explained the reason behind India’s downfall. The 32-year old stated that Australia’s bowling was not different than their performance in the first innings but the Indian batsmen’s intent of going for the runs made the difference. He pointed out how the atmosphere of lack of runs being scored during the match played on the players’ mind during the second innings.
Bowlers bowled similar kind of areas in the first innings as well, but then our mindset was to get runs. There were some good balls. But I don’t think it did anything drastic. Just the atmosphere was created where runs were difficult to come by. I think it was a combination of both – lack of intent, and bowlers bowling in good areas. Obviously you want to be committed to the team’s cause. Confident the boys going forward will reflect on this and come up with a better result on Boxing Day,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Test was Virat Kohli’s last in the four-match series. He will now return home to attend the birth of his first child. In his absence, Ajinkya Rahane will lead the team in the remainder of the series. The second match of the series is scheduled to start on December 26.
