Thiruvananthapuram: Skipper Virat Kohli had full faith in Hardik Pandya’s ‘off-cutters’ which came in handy during the tense final over of the third T20 game against New Zealand here Tuesday which India won by six runs. With the Kiwis needing 19 runs to win in the final over, Pandya conceded just 12.
“We had confidence in Hardik, whose off-cutters are good. The wicket was damp, so the ball was sticking to the wicket, coming slow on to the bat. I tried going up to him, but after three balls he said, ‘I’ll do it, you don’t have to worry,” Virat praised his young all-rounder. “As a captain, when you get that kind of confidence from your bowlers, you aren’t left with much to say.”
Kohli also lavished praise on the entire bowling unit. “T20 is often described as a game for batsmen. Both sides had good batter, but we won, because we bowled better. The bowlers should get the credit they don’t usually do,” the Indian skipper pointed out.
Kohli said that the confidence of the team has also helped and it helped in crunch situations. “We back ourselves under pressure and most of the times we can turn things around. Confidence is something which makes you a better player,” Kohli asserted.
Skipper slams MSD critics
Livid with constant scrutiny of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s finishing skills, Virat Kohli hit back at the critics for ‘conveniently’ singling out one man while ignoring failure of other players, including himself. “I don’t understand why people are singling him out. If I fail as a batsman three times, no one accuses me because I am not over 35,” Kohli told reporters here Tuesday. “The guy is fit, he is passing all the tests. He is contributing to the team in every tactical way on the field. You are conveniently targeting one man, it must stop,” he added.
press trust of india