PUJARA SHINES IN INDIA’S HISTORIC WIN
Man of the match Cheteshwar Pujara greets fans after India defeated Australia in the first Test in Adelaide, Australia, on Monday. India clinched a dramatic 31- run victory against Australia to claim only their sixth Test win down under. It is India’s first victory in a Test series- opener and their first Test win in the country since 2008.
Adelaide, Dec. 10: Virat Kohli said on Monday it was “very special” to captain India to their first Test win in Australia for a decade and gave his side crucial momentum in their bid for a maiden series victory. “Any Test victory is special because you work hard over five days, and then the physical and the mental toil and the emotion of it all comes together in a result is a very special feeling,” he said
Kohli, who has long led India’s batting charge with admirable consistency across all three formats but failed to fire in Adelaide, said he believed his team collectively were better than Australia and deserved to win. The victory was built on Cheteshwar Pujara’s first innings 123 and his second innings 71, while wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant took a world record- equalling 11 catches. “It was priceless from Pujara, we were down and out at lunch on day one. His grit and determination brought us back in it,” said Kohli.
“We always knew that runs on the board would make the home side tentative. Any lead was gold and we got 15. In the second innings again, he and Rahane batted well.”
Asked if thought 323 would be enough to win, Kohli said his middle and lower order could have done better after a 5- 25 collapse at the end of the second innings. “We could have added another 30- 35 runs more which could have taken the game totally beyond Australia,” he said. “So these are things that we have to think about going to Perth, but if someone had told me before the series that I would be 1- 0 up as soon we started the series, I would have taken it with both hands.”
‘ Hope no one gets treated the way Smith and Warner were’
Kohli says he was sad to see the public backlash faced by Steve Smith and David Warner for their role in the ball- tampering scandal in South Africa earlier this year. “Well, it was sad to see. As big a thing as it became, you never want to see anyone go through that because I have known David and I have known Steve as well,” Kohli said.
We were down and out at lunch on day one. Pujara’s grit and determination brought us back in it — VIRAT KOHLI