Indian skipper Virat Kohli led India to a terrific 203-run victory against England in the third Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. He went on to bag the Man of the Match award for his phenomenal batting performance against a brutal English pace attack. However, his gesture won a million hearts.
The Indian skipper, on the behalf of the entire team, not only dedicated this victory to the flood victims in Kerala but also donated the entire match fees for the relief work.
“First and foremost, we as a team want to dedicate the victory to the flood victims back home in Kerala. People are going through a lot, and this is the least we can do.”
Kohli revealed how the team collectively panned out a way to return in the series after reeling 0-2. He said, “We only spoke about the fact that we were only outplayed in one Test out of the five we had played since South Africa, and that was at Lord's.”
“We spoke about stepping up as batsmen, and that's what we did, and we set it up for the bowlers. The bowling group was eager to take those 20 wickets again - the question was what we could do as batsmen to give them that cushion. When both skills come together with slip catching, we win Test matches,” he added.
After continuous failures, the two Indian Test specialists, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, also made important contributions in the match. Rahane played a massive knock of 81 runs in the first over while Pujara got 72 runs against his name. Praising their performances, Kohli said,
“Very crucial how Rahane played, having lost Pujara just before lunch. He's very positive, we love that about him. He can change the whole complexion of the game, and that's what he did. They're a quality bowling attack and you need the grit to score against them, and that's what Jinx in the first innings and Puji in the second showed.”
Virat scored a total of 200 runs in the entire match. He scored 97 off 152 in the first innings and 103 off 197 in the second. He dedicated the same to his actress wife Anushka Sharma for his constant support.
“I want to dedicate my innings, especially to my wife. She's motivated me a lot, kept pushing me. She's the only one who keeps me positive out there,” he said.
The Indian pace bowlers took 19 wickets in the game. Out of four seamers, two of them – Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah – picked up a 5-wicket haul each. Pandya bagged his maiden Test 5-for in the first innings while Bumrah did the same in the second.
“The most pleasing thing for me to see was that the four fastest bowlers in the series have all been Indians. We've worked on our fitness, on our mindset, cutting down on loose deliveries. They're getting better and better the more Test cricket they've played. It's a delight to watch when they're running in.”
“We definitely believe we can [win the series]. It wouldn't be 2-1 now if we didn't believe that. We just want to keep pushing forward and want to win,” concluded Kohli.