Virat hails bowlers, fielders for victory
LONDON: India’s loss to Sri Lanka last week had put the bowlers under scanner. They allowed their weak opponents chase down 321 and invited plenty of criticism.
Smarting under that criticism, the India skipper on Sunday chose to field and trusted his strong batting line-up to do the chasing.
However, this time his bowlers and fielders were up to the mark and didn’t give the batsmen much to sweat over.
“It was a good toss to win, the wicket didn’t change too much. The fielders backed our bowlers. If the opportunity comes your way, you have to grab it,” said Kohli after the match.
The Proteas had got off to a solid start. However, two run outs in the middle overs, including that of AB de Villiers, saw them lose track.
Kohli said De Villiers wicket early gave India a lot of confidence.
“Always good to get him (AB de Villiers) out early, he can always hurt you. We wanted to step up that intensity,” he said.
While the Proteas lost track and struggled to score, the Indians seemed to reach the target in a canter. Kohli said there were no demons in the wicket and it was a good batting surface.
“(But it was) Important for someone to bat till the end and Shikhar’s intent was outstanding. This is probably the best game we have played so far,” he said.
India will most likely face Bangladesh in the semifinals in what could be a repeat of the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal. They play at Edgbaston in Birmingham where Kohli’s boys beat Pakistan in the first match of the tournament.
“We played in Birmingham, we like that pitch. It suits our game.”
Although India were comprehensive in the win over Pakistan, Kohli said they have to be cautious.
“There is no looking back and there is always room for improvement.
There is always small point you can improve on, can’t rest on your laurels.”