What’s the story?
Skipper Virat Kohli has attributed the T20I series victory against England to India’s ability to play fearless cricket when placed under pressure. Upon registering an emphatic 75-run victory in the third T20I at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the hosts completed series triumphs in all three formats against England.
In the post-match press conference, Kohli felt, “I think hard-work is something that international cricketers do on a daily basis. Against teams like England, you need more mental preparation than physical work in the gym or practice sessions. One thing I think we did really well was fight fire with fire. We were not willing to take a backward step even after getting a couple of not too big totals in the first two matches.”
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He added, “The way we batted today (in Bangalore) was again a revelation. Even after me getting out initially, (Suresh) Raina and KL (Rahul) did not stop their instincts which is needed in T20 cricket to reveal themselves and find their characters. Players need to play that way. They don’t need to think about what’s happened, they need to keep thinking and looking ahead. That’s what we did in this game.”
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During the second T20I in Nagpur, Ashish Nehra’s breakthroughs, as well as Jasprit Bumrah’s exceptional death bowling, helped India pull the rug from under England’s feet and take the series to the decider.
In the final match, the hosts overcame the early loss of Kohli’s wicket and were able to cross the 200-mark due to the exploits of Raina, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.
The heart of the matter
Kohli also pointed to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s wicket-taking spree in the middle-overs as the difference between the two sides in the all-important series decider. Taking a cue from his IPL experience with Royal Challengers Bangalore, he admitted that defending totals at the venue was extremely difficult without regular strikes.
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While his senior spin partner Amit Mishra put the brakes on England’s scoring rate, Chahal proceeded to weave webs around the batsmen by mixing variations such as sliders with his conventional leg-breaks. The 26-year old’s incredible spell of 6/25 is the third-best in T20Is.
What next?
India’s next assignment will be the one-off Test against Bangladesh beginning on the 9th in Hyderabad. With the focus shifting to the game’s traditional format, Kohli would want his troops to continue their impressive form.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Upon being thoroughly outplayed in the first T20I in Kanpur and finding themselves under a lot of pressure at various stages in the second one, it took considerable mental resolve for India to clinch the series. The training sessions, focused on the mental side of things, seem to have paid rich dividends for Kohli’s team.
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