Virat Kohli said that the Indian team dedicates their victory against England in the third Test at Trent Bridge to the victims of floods that has lashed the state of Kerala. “First and foremost, we as a team want to dedicate the victory to the flood victims back home in Kerala. People are going through a lot, and this is the least we can do,” said Kohli in the post-match interview.
Kohli was man of the match for his scores of 97 and 103. He was also ably assisted by his teammates and the Indian skipper seemed especially happy about the reemergence of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Both have been India’s biggest assets in Test cricket and turned in anonymous
performances in the second Test. “Very crucial how Rahane played, having lost Puji just before lunch. He’s very positive, we love that about him,” he said. “He can change the whole complexion of the game, and that’s what he did. They’re a quality bowling attack and you need grit to score against them, and that’s what Jinx in the first innings and Puji in the second showed.”
Kohli also said that the fast bowlers are getting better with every Test match they play. In this Test, Hardik Pandya took five wickets in England’s first innings while Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul did the cleaning up act in the second innings. “We’ve worked on our fitness, on our mindset, cutting down on loose deliveries,” he said. “They’re getting better and better the more Test cricket they’ve played. It’s a delight to watch when they’re running in. We definitely believe we can [win the series]. It wouldn’t be 2-1 now if we didn’t believe that. We just want to keep pushing forward and keep wanting to win.”
