India vs Australia | Virat Kohli’s innings made the difference, rues Pat Cummins

03/06/2019

Pat Cummins has singled out Virat Kohli’s magnificent innings of 116 runs as the difference between the two sides in the home team's narrow eight-run win against Australia in Nagpur yesterday. India will take on Aaron Finch & Co. in the third ODI scheduled to be played in Ranchi on Friday.

Australian pacer, Pat Cummins, lavished praise on India captain Virat Kohli who scored his 40th century enroute to an impressive score of 116 during last night’s eight-run win against Australia in Nagpur. In doing so, India made their way to a 2-0 lead in the ongoing five-match ODI series against the Aussies on home soil.

Cummins, who ended last night with figures of 4/29, was all praise for Kohli and added that the Indian skipper was the only difference between both teams in what turned out to be a rather low-scoring match.

"I think he (Kohli) was the difference, for sure. We had a couple of really good partnerships, Marcus (Stoinis) got 50-odd, couple of guys got really good starts but we didn't have that one guy (player) who got on with it. So for them to have someone like Virat in at the end, facing lots of balls, he was probably the difference between them getting low-200 or 250. (It was a) really good innings.

"(And he) just played really good shots. I thought for the most part we bowled quite well to him but especially the way he played some of the spin, which looked quite tough to play on that wicket, was certainly the difference. but he (Kohli) batted beautifully, he didn't give any chances, he looks like he got so much time. If someone bowls well he's happy to wait on them and cash in later, he doesn't miss out on too many bad balls," Cummins said in a post-match interview.

However, the Mumbai Indians pacer added that there were a few positives for the visitors to take from the game.

"Bowling a team out is good. The way (Adam) Zampa came back, got two big wickets that was a great sign. Nathan Lyon hadn't played a lot of one-day cricket lately, to come straight back in it's quite different from Test cricket, he seemed to be firing them in there and kept the scoreboard quite tight, so another great positive," added Cummins.

India will take on Aaron Finch & Co. in third ODI which is scheduled to be played in Ranchi on Friday.