Despite WTC defeat, Virat Kohli is all praises for New Zealand

In a thriller of a Test match, New Zealand beat India by 8 wickets to win the inaugural World Test Championship and lift the elusive Test mace in Southampton on June 23. The match that was forced into reserve day due to consistent rain over the period of five days saw both players and fans go through an array of emotions. But ultimately, it was New Zealand who kept their calm and saw off a strong Indian side.

Virat Kohli, the Indian Test captain, during the post-match presentation, was all praises for Kane Williamson and his team and was of the opinion that Kyle Jamieson has a long way to go.

“A big congratulations to Kane and his team. They’ve shown great consistency and heart, and pull off a result in three days. They put us under pressure throughout the Test and did extremely well to win,” Kohli said.

Talking about the opposition, Kohli said the bowling attack was on point and didn’t allow them to score. “We were 30-40 short of giving them a good target,” the right-handed batsman said.

Jamieson, Kohli RCB’s teammate, dismissed the Indian run-scoring machine twice in the WTC and was adjudged man of the match.

Commenting on his performance, the Indian captain said, “He is coming up nicely in international cricket – good areas with the ball, and he can bat quite well too. He’s had a great game and he deserves the man of the match award.”

Talking about the WTC and the Test, Kohli said: “It’s great for the game (WTC) and the more Test cricket is given importance, the better it will be for international cricket. It’s a great move by ICC. Test cricket is the heartbeat of the game.”