Virat Kohli hints at two changes for fourth T20I: The Indian captain was vocal about experimenting with the squad in the last two matches.
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India captain Virat Kohli admitted that he had thought of losing the match after his counterpart in Kane Williamson played a gem of an innings. A career-best 95 (48) including eight fours and six sixes from Williamson saw New Zealand requiring only two runs off the last four balls.
However, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami brought his experience into play as he dismissed both Williamson and veteran New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor (17) to push the match into a super over.
“I thought we were gone at one stage. I told our coach [Ravi Shastri] that they probably deserved to finish the game off with the way Kane [Williamson] batted and the way he led from the front.
“[Mohammed] Shami again, showed his experience and put a couple of balls outside the off-stump. On the last ball, we had a discussion and we came to a conclusion that we had to hit the stumps because otherwise there is a single anyway and we are gonna lose the game. Shami went for it, got the wicket and the game turned on its head,” Kohli was quoted as saying during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Virat Kohli hints at two changes for fourth T20I vs New Zealand
Being asked about the thought process before chasing 18 runs in the super over, Kohli once again acknowledged the opposition putting them under pressure. However, the Indian captain was wax lyrical about his deputy in Rohit Sharma who hit two consecutive sixes off Tim Southee to win the super over for India.
“In the super over, New Zealand again put pressure on us. But Rohit [Sharma] was outstanding today, in the first half and in the super over. We knew, if he gets one hit, the bowler will be under pressure because he is such a clean striker of the cricket ball,” Kohli added.
Having gained an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, India have registered their maiden series victory in New Zealand. Considering the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in mind, Kohli also opened up about trying two players who haven’t played a match on the tour till now.
“We will try to win [the series] 5-0. There are a couple of guys who are sitting out like Washington Sundar and [Navdeep] Saini, they deserve to get a game. The idea is to win the remaining two games,” Kohli concluded.
