We Never Spoke Of Jetlag In Team, Didn't Want Any Excuse: Virat Kohli

The Indian captain had earlier criticised the scheduling of the series as the entire team had to fly from Bengaluru to Auckland the very next day after they defeated Australia 3-1 to clinch the ODI series

Photo: AFP

Auckland: After team India's thumping six-wicket win over the Kiwis in the series opener on Friday, skipper Virat Kohli said that there was no talk of jetlag in the team and landing just two days before the game and winning the match was fantastic. The Indian captain had earlier criticised the scheduling of the series as the entire team had to fly from Bengaluru to Auckland the very next day after they defeated Australia 3-1 to clinch the ODI series. However, on Friday, Kohli said that the team didn't want any excuse and was just focusing on securing the victory. "We enjoyed this. Landing two days before and playing a game like this, it was fantastic," said Kohli after India chased down 204 at the Eden Park. "We never spoke of the jetlag in the team. We didn't want any excuse. We just focused on what we needed to do to win. We were looking forward to play," he added. Kohli added that the Indian bowlers pulled the innings back in their favour from one point when it seemed that the hosts would post a 230-run total on board. "You can't be harsh on anyone on this sort of a pitch. I thought 230 was on at one point, but we pulled it back nicely." Shreyas Iyer, who starred with the bat as India registered their record 4th successful 200-plus chase, said that the team was always confident of going across the line considering the small dimensions of the ground. "We had lost quick wickets, so we had to build partnerships. We always knew we can score runs because this is a small ground," said Iyer who scored 58 off 29 balls as India achieved the target with six balls to spare. "Looking forward to similar support in the remaining games as well," he added. The two teams will now meet for the second T20I at the same venue on Sunday.