IND vs WI | It was one of the best innings I have played, reckons Virat Kohli
BCCI
Virat Kohli was extremely satisfied with his knock in the third T20 at the Wankhede Stadium and believes that it was one of the best innings that he has played. Kohli's knock of 70 off just 29 balls, including 4 fours and 7 sixes, propelled India to a score 240 which led them to win by 67 runs.
The decider at Wankhede Stadium proved to be a rather one-sided affair as India won comfortably by 67 runs thereby taking the series 2-1. One of the main heroes of this victory was skipper Virat Kohli who had come in to bat after the openers had provided a fantastic start but then two quick wickets had fallen and the West Indies bowlers seemed to have pulled the momentum back in their favour. Just then, Kohli ensured that the momentum given by the openers did not go waste as he smashed 70* off just 29 balls with 4 fours and 7 gigantic sixes. His whirlwind innings helped India reach 240 and Weast Indies never were into the chase as they lost their way right from the start and fell short by 67 runs.
"It was a special night and one of the best innings I have played. And batting first we won, feels really good. I know I can contribute in all three formats. It is about putting your mind into it," Kohli said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
India have always been criticized as they play the powerplay overs extra-cautiously and their openers fail to give the flying start that they need more often than not. But KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma were in the mood right from the word go and their century stand for the first wicket set up things nicely for Kohli to continue the demolition job of the West Indies bowlers.
"I think two guys in the middle with clarity and the way Rahul and Rohit played today was the key today. Batting first, we have been too tight and hesitant, but this pitch allowed us to play freely. It was a good lesson for us and now we need to remember it," Kohli asserted.
The Wankhede pitch is a batting paradise and the boundaries to clear are quite small as well but that won't be the case in next year's T20 World Cup as the grounds will be huge. Kohli understands this and believes that the targets will be completely different Down Under due to the size of the boundaries and other pitch factors.
"Depends on what pitch and ground you are playing on (whether scoring more boundaries is a must). You don't really feel the pressure when you have 20-25 runs on the board. Playing the World Cup in Australia, we will have to figure out how big the boundaries are," he concluded.
