India vs Australia: “You won’t get chances after chances” – Virat Kohli rues dropped catches after defeat


India vs Australia: “You won’t get chances after chances” – Virat Kohli rues dropped catches after defeat
Virat Kohli

India were dealt a crushing loss by Australia on Day 3 of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. India slumped to their lowest ever Test score in their 2nd innings of 36 before the Aussies chased down their target of 90 in a hurry. From a position of great promise, India’s dismal showing meant Australia not only came back into the game but also inflicted a demoralizing defeat on the Indians to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

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Following the match, Virat Kohli maintained his composure and dismissed the dramatic batting collapse as just one of the days when nothing came together at a virtual press conference. He also assured the Indian fans that even in his absence in the next three Tests due to his paternity leave, India would bounce back. The skipper was also left to rue what could have been if India had taken their chances in Australia’s 1st innings and secured a larger lead.

‘We’ve never had a worse batting performance’ – Kohli

Speaking at the press conference, Virat Kohli was asked if India had settled into a comfort zone and the same led to the collapse. The Indian skipper however responded strongly to the question saying, “There is no comfort zone in international level. There is no comfort zone in training or anywhere else. We are always under pressure. People who ask about comfort zone need a reality check. Having played for so long, I can tell you straight up that there is no such thing.”

Kohli was also left to rue all the dropped catches and chances that India gave the Aussies in their first innings. “The Australian lower-order contributing runs were very crucial in their win. There were 110/7 and then Paine got 70 odd, Labuschagne got some crucial runs. You’ve got to take your chances when they come your way. They can be very costly and it’s something that we realized in a harsh way today.

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We faced the repercussions for all the dropped chances. You won’t get chances after chances. That definitely would have been a boosting factor if we had a lead of few more runs. Then if we had made a decent batting performance, the opposition would have panicked,” he said.

With Kohli set to leave for India, the father-to-be expressed confidence that India would come back strongly in the series. “I would have loved it if we had won this game. Having said that, this is Test cricket where anything can happen. I’m confident that we will bounce back strongly in Melbourne. We will definitely learn from this. We’ve never had a worse batting performance than this. So it can only go upwards from here. I have no doubts on that regard. You will see guys stepping up, realizing their character and doing their job for the team,” Kohli signed off.

The second Test between India and Australia is scheduled to be held on Boxing Day – December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Also Read: India vs Australia: “I was scared of looking away for fear that one more Indian wicket might fall,” says Harsha Bhogle

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