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Virat Kohli speaks about why India forced Sri Lanka to follow on

Utkarsh Bhatla
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Virat Kohli Source: Hindustan Times

Virat Kohli was a happy and content man after India completed a comprehensive series win against Sri Lanka, winning the second test match by an innings and 53 runs.

Sri Lanka were on the hook from Day 1, trying to cope with the brilliance of Rahane and Pujara, and then struggling to fend away the trickery of Jadeja and Ashwin.

Karunaratne and Mendis scripted a majestic 2nd wicket partnership but the damage had already been done on day 2 and Sri Lanka were always playing catch up cricket.

Virat Kohli has been known to avoid forcing the follow on, as he feels that batting 4th on these square turners isn’t a very good idea.

“See 183 all out and lead of 440 prompted us, looking at the wicket the way it was spinning, not to bat again. And we had only bowled 40 or 48 overs in the 1st innings. So bowlers were fresh and we got lunch break in between as well.

“We ended up enforcing the follow on because we felt we have enough on the board not to bat again. If this was like 200 or something, we could have still batted and score 200 or 250 runs and put them again,” Virat Kohli said

Kohli and co. have a chance of an overseas test series whitewash now, when they take on Sri Lanka in the third test from August 12.

“Well, it’s obviously nice to win this series again. We won this last time also, in 2015. Yes, we do have that chance, but honestly speaking, we are not looking at Test matches or Test cricket now as home and away anymore. We are just looking at Test matches as Test matches and we want to win anywhere that we play,”

If we can believe enough in our abilities then we are not really bothered about where we are playing. That kind of energy I can sense in the team, and the team believes that as well. We are creating a habit of winning that I think can be carried on in future as well.” Kohli added.

“For us, this is priority. Test cricket is the most important thing for us. And everyone plays with a lot of passion. If you see, last nine Test matches, six times we’ve got 600 runs. That shows the hunger of the batsmen, they are waiting for an opportunity, there are lower order contributions as well,”

“In the dressing room we feel really proud of each other’s efforts, that we’re really putting in those consistent, convincing performances, and winning Test matches more often than getting the other results. We really feel good as a team that we’re able to win consistently right now, but we realise that it’s very important to keep carrying on the same way as well,” he concluded.

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