Kohli lauds wrist-spinners after Cape Town win

Virat Kohli’s magnificent 160* and a pouncing pack of wrist-spinners ensured a 124-run victory for the tourist and putting them on the course of historic ODI series win on the South African soil. The Virat Kohli led India take an unassailable 3-0 series after humiliating the hosts in Cape Town.

New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s magnificent 160* and a pouncing pack of wrist-spinners ensured a 124-run victory for the tourist and putting them on the course of historic ODI series win on the South African soil. The Virat Kohli led India  take an unassailable 3-0 series after humiliating the hosts in Cape Town.

The Indian skipper heaped praise on wrist-spin duo of Kuldeep and Chahal who combined to scalp 8 Protea wickets in the third ODI

We knew they will pick up wickets. These guys have bowled in flatter batting tracks at home. They have picked up wickets on a regular basis. Here they felt even better because they were getting bounce, on some pitches like today, it got really slow at the end so they were getting turn as well,” said the 29-year-old

“They feel at the top of their game when they have the pitches supporting them even a little bit. But they are very brave and even on flatter pitches. They might go for 6 an over, we knew that but they will pick up 3-4 wickets between them. They have done outstandingly well in the last two games picking up a majority of the wickets in both games and being the difference between both sides,” he added.

India are yet to lose a 50-over game in the series so far and would be aiming to win remaining encounters, inflicting a whitewash on the hosts and Virat is confident that his team will show no sign of complacency in the remaining games of the six-match rubber.

“It’s quite a farfetched thing. Still, three games to go in the series. We just want to play the way we have played till now. Maybe have more intensity in the next game to close the series out.

“Biggest positive out of today, with 3-0 up, is that there is no way we can lose the series now. That is certainly something that lifts the team even more. As I said we will have more intensity and more passion when we step out for the fourth game.”

The Indian skipper smashed his 34^th ODI hundred in Cape Town and only 15 shy from Sachin’s record of 49 ODI tons. This was his fourth three-digit figure in last 6 fixtures and a consecutive second in South Africa.

Kohli has been simply unstoppable in the 50-over format and has termed this knock as really special.

“Every hundred is obviously very special. International runs are never easy. They are hard earned. Some might come on more batting-friendly pitches, but I think with their attack, and the pace and bounce they were getting initially, you had to adjust your game.”