Visakhapatnam: Indian skipper Virat Kohli hailed Sunday India’s pace attack which has showed a lot of heart to go through the grind and deliver even on slow spin-friendly wickets.
Mohammed Shami unleashed a lethal spell of fast bowling, returning with a five wicket haul, as India dismissed South Africa for 191 to complete a 203-run win in the opening Test against South Africa, here Sunday. India thus took a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series.
Virat Kohli was asked if the Indian pacers are now playing a more significant role in India’s Test victories. “It’s all about the attitude. If fast bowlers are going to think that spinners are going to do all the work, then it doesn’t justify their place in the side,” Kohli stated.
“In the sub-continent they ask for shorter spells so they can give 100 per cent. That’s when you see guys like Shami, Ishant (Sharma), Jasprit (Bumrah) and Umesh (Yadav) doing well. It’s all about wanting to make a play for the team even in conditions that are difficult” Kohli told reporters at the end of the game.
In the first innings, it was Ishant Sharma who was the only pacer to get a wicket. In the second, however, on a pitch which had decidedly turned slower, Mohammed Shami wreaked havoc. It drew a lot of appreciation from Virat Kohli.
“Shami has been a strike bowler in the second innings. All the guys lived up to their strengths. While batting heroes were obvious bowlers had it tougher in this game. But they delivered,” Kohli said.
The spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja also played their parts with the ball. While Ashwin picked up seven wickets (eight in the game) in the first innings, Jadeja ended with six wickets in the match, including four in the second innings.
Kohli also was effusive in his praise for Rohit Sharma, who scored centuries in both the innings of his debut match as a Test opener, and Mayank Agarwal, who hit his maiden Test ton.
“Mayank and Rohit played brilliantly. Pujara too in the second innings. It was a hard grind though because of the weather and the pitch slowing down,” Kohli pointed out.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis hailed the fighting effort of his team but acknowledged that Shami’s second innings exploits made a huge difference.
“We fought well but the second innings was tough. I thought up until this morning we competed really well,” Du Plessis said. “But in the end, it was Shami who literally destroyed us. He reversed the ball brilliantly.”
PTI
