Kohli pleased with the effort
India skipper Virat Kohli was pleased with the effort put in by his team despite not being able to secure a win on the final day against Australia in the third Test in Ranchi.
Australia ground out a draw with Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh proving difficult to dislodge after India removed Matt Renshaw and Steve Smith in the morning session.
Kohli said after the draw was sealed: “We got ourselves into a very good position.
“Losing the toss here was never easy. Not being able to take the field and watching the opposition get big runs was difficult. But we batted beautifully.
“KL and M Vijay, but the partnership between Saha and Pujara is the best I have seen. We didn’t expect a 150 lead. Yesterday two wickets, we thought we had a good chance, but credit to the two batsmen, they batted really well.”
The flatter pitch left both sides having to work hard out in the field and the strain was beginning to show by the end of day five.
Kohli continued: ” Guys want to push the barrier, their physical limits, their mental toughness. Credit to Australia for playing out the draw, but we played ourselves into a position where we could win.”
The skipper was full of praise for Cheteshwar Pujara who was handed the man of the match award for his immense double ton in India’s first and only innings while he also gave kudos to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha who is proving to be a valuable asset with the bat.
Kohli added: “When you play only one format, you are always extra determined to make it count. Pujara is very motivated, and he is really good at test batting. This is the best I have watched him bat.
“Saha did it in West Indies, he did it in Calcutta as well, and here under pressure, he really stood up. You feel happy for him because he is such a wonderful guy. Always smiling, always happy for whoever achieves anything.”
The India captain wa not pleased with the quality of the balls used in this Test feeling that they got soft far too quickly making things easier for the batsmen.
He added: ” I don’t think it was the wicket, it was the ball, soft, not doing much. I don’t know about the lot of balls.”
Kohli reserved special praise for Ravindra Jadeja who took nine wickets and smashed 54 off 55 balls in the India innings.
The skipper said: “Jadeja is unbelievable. He is gun in the field too. I have never seen anyone bowl so economically for so long ever. Dharamsala, no different from what I have done here. We have given our best here, and as long as we keep doing that, I am sure we will get ourselves into winning positions.”
The fourth and final Test starts in Dharamsala on March 25 with the series locked at 1-1.
Latest
-
News
On this day in 2018: Australian trio banned after ball-tampering saga
The trio were handed their punishments on March 28, 2018.
-
County Cricket
Surrey stars eager to help Alec Stewart sign off with more silverware
Stewart has guided Surrey to three County Championship wins during his decade in charge.
-
Women's Cricket
Maia Bouchier smashes 91 as England Women seal T20 series victory
England made 177 for three and then restricted New Zealand to 130 for seven.
-
County Cricket
Yorkshire boosted by Harry Brook and Joe Root’s early-season availability
Both players are not at the Indian Premier League.
-
England
Ollie Pope ‘itching’ to get back scoring runs after ‘frustrating’ tour of India
The England vice-captain hit a superb 196 in Hyderabad, but averaged only 14.75 in the next four Tests of the India series.
-
Women's Cricket
Ellyse Perry says Ashes Test at MCG ‘amazing’ but unsure about four-day return
Australia will host England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Women’s Ashes early next year.
-
County Cricket
Harry Brook set to return for start of Yorkshire’s County Championship campaign
Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India in January due to personal reasons.
-
England
England spinner Tom Hartley expects his exploits in India to be ‘life changing’
Hartley’s second-innings haul of seven for 62 in Hyderabad delivered one England’s greatest ever overseas victories.
-
Women's Cricket
Heather Knight urges more composure from England after New Zealand collapse
The tourists needed just 29 from 29 balls with eight wickets in hand.
-
Australia
On this day in 2018: Australia ‘sandpapergate’ ball-tampering controversy erupts
The incident led to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft being banned from playing for Australia.