Kohli dedicates match-winning knock to Sachin
After guiding India through yesterday, Virat Kohli talked about how he relishes the challenge of playing on a difficult wicket, against a good bowling attack and expressed his satisfaction at pulling India out of trouble. The Test skipper also discussed his change of stance to handle the pitch.
"It was a challenging wicket, that's what you want as a cricketer -- new challenges to play. Last game, I was very disappointed to have got out, that really hurt. Even the 49 against Pakistan in Dhaka was really satisfying, that's what you need, a tough pitch a good bowling attack and you pulling your team out of trouble," Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
The 27-year-old also praised Yuvraj Singh, who ably supported him during the crucial 61-run partnership, after India had lost three early wickets.
"Yuvraj weathered the storm and then smacked a few. That's Yuvi style. I think these performances are good for him as well, he's in good nick," Kohli added.
The rain in the buildup to the match adversely affected the Eden Gardens pitch, and it provided a lot of assistance to the spinners. Kohli revealed how he stood inside the crease, and refrained from driving through the covers in order deal with the surface.
"I didn't look at wicket till Ashwin started bowling. The way the ball spun, I thought it was going to grip. Even cutters bowled by fast bowlers was gripping. So I told our batting coach (Sanjay Bangar) that since the ball was popping up, I would stand inside the crease and open the bat face rather than hit cover drive," Kohli explained.
After completing his half-century, Kohli raised his bat and bowed down to Sachin Tendulkar in the stands. He expressed his pride at having played such an innings in front of his idol. He said, "I started playing cricket watching him. So to do it in front of 67,000 people with him celebrating, it was a great feeling”.