Virat Kohli said clinical and fearless cricket paid off for India who crushed New Zealand by 90 runs in the second ODI at Mount Maunganui on Saturday. Kohli is now the only India captain to win his first two ODIs in New Zealand.
Kohli lauded his batsmen and bowlers for their perseverance against New Zealand, who have been dominant at home since the 2015 World Cup. On a good batting pitch, every Indian batsman made significant contributions before the bowlers stepped up again to set up victory for India on Republic Day.
Despite the superb all-round performance, Virat Kohli said there were still some areas that needed to be looked at. “It was a clinical performance again. We had a par score as Rohit mentioned with the kind of pitch and boundary dimensions here.
“But we bowled really well and back-to-back clinical performances is really pleasing. I made a conscious effort after the second drinks break to take some risks. Once I got out, the new batsman had to take time. These are the things we need to look into with the World Cup nearby,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“We would like to score those 15-20 runs extra but at the same time, good too see us chip our way to a balanced total. They are always ready to bowl for you and pick wickets, which is key.
“They are not content to go wicketless for 40 runs in their quota, they’d rather have more wickest for 60. That mindset is crucial for us and as is Rohit and Shikhar at the top,” Kohli said.
