Kohli rates win in Aussie his biggest achievement
In the end, India’s euphoric high arrived with a whimper but the wet finish to the Sydney test yesterday won’t dampen the spirits of a team which made history on Australian shores.
The party has officially started after Virat Kohli led his country to their first ever test series win in Australia — confirmed when the fourth test ended in a draw, with no play possible on the final day because of miserable weather in the New South Wales capital.
India entered day five hoping to take 10 Australian wickets and secure a famous 3-1 triumph but were made to settle for a 2-1 scoreline. The hosts were 6-0 at stumps on day four, still 316 runs behind the opposition after being made to follow on at home for the first time in 30 years.
Being robbed of the chance to take the crease yesterday meant captain Tim Paine’s men sunk to an ugly new low. No one wearing the baggy green this summer managed to score a hundred, making it the first time in 136 years Australia have failed to produce a century-maker in a fourtest series on home soil.
It was a credit to India that the hosts struggled so much and captain Kohli was bursting with pride at the post-match presentation.
“I’ve never been more proud to be part of the team,” Kohli said. “I can’t believe that after all these years, we’ve won here.
“Just one word to say — proud — to lead this team and it’s an honour and a privilege. The boys make the captain look good. By far, this is my biggest achievement. It’s at the top of the pile. Having been to this country three times now and to understand that what we have done has never been done before, it’s something we can be really proud of,” he said.
Kohli reserved special praise for run machine Cheteshwar Pujara and was especially complimentary towards his bowlers.
“The way the bowlers have dictated and dominated, not here but also in England and South Africa, it’s something I haven’t seen before. Hats off to them, the way they’ve prepared, their fitness levels and their mindset.”