India captain Virat Kohli said that the scoreline of 1-4 was not a true reflection of how his team competed in the five-Test series which concluded Tuesday with India losing to England by 118 runs at The Oval.
I think the 1-4 scoreline is a fair one as England played better than us but we were not outplayed barring the Lord’s Test. The kind of cricket we have played might not show on the scorecard. But both the teams know this series has been a competitive one, said Virat at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Kohli also said that the series had been a great advertisement for Test cricket.
“This has been a great advert for Test cricket. The fans will come and watch if both teams play for a win. The basic idea was to go out there and play the cricket we are supposed to do,” he said.
“England are a professional side and we realised that the game could change within two-three overs. They also don’t go for draws and they played fearless cricket and so did we. That is why you won’t see draws in these kind of series,” he said.
Kholi also praised KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant who scores centuries on Day 5 of the Test, raising visions of an improbable victory for the visitors on the final day.
“I think a lot of credit has to go to the two young guys. I am delighted for both the guys and it speaks of India’s future. We did not take our opportunities,” he said.
Kohli had special words of praise for Pant, who scored his maiden Test century.
“Pant showed a lot of grit and character. We have character in the team and we just need some experience. When you get into a zone when you are not thinking about the result, things go your way,” he said.
He also said that despite the series defeat, India could take a lot of positives from their summer in England.
“We can take a lot of heart from this but we need to apply ourselves better the next time around,” he said.
“There is a reason why we voted Sam to be the Man of the series. It takes character to come in and play like that. He put England forward in the 1st and 4th Test match.”
As a parting shot, the Indian captain congratulated Alastair on completing a glorious cricketing career.
“Just one word for Cook. You have had a great career. All the best for all your future endeavors,” Kholi said.
