Pune: India skipper Virat Kohli called Tuesday’s win over England in the first ODI one of their sweetest ever and said that India is now in a position where they have two-three players for every slot.
“To come back into the game the way they did is brilliant. I am a really, really proud man right now. The team showed great character and intensity,” said Kohli after the match.
“This is one of our sweetest victories in the recent past. We haven’t won many good games in ODIs,” he added.
The 32-year-old, who scored 56 off 60 deliveries and added 105 for the second wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (98), praised debutant seamer, M. Prasidh Krishna, for making a remarkable comeback after going for runs early on.
Krishna scalped 4/54 to return the best bowling figures by an Indian on ODI debut.
“It was a comeback from all our bowlers. Going for few runs early on and coming back (by Krishna) was amazing. Krunal (Pandya) as well. Shardul (Thakur) and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) were also amazing,” Kohli added.
Chasing 318 for victory, England had raced to 135 without loss in just 14 overs before Karnataka pacer Krishna brought his team back into the contest with a double strike, sending Jason Roy and Ben Stokes back to the hut.
“Getting nine wickets so quickly is outstanding. As I mentioned in the past as well, we promote players who have intent,” Kohli said.
The skipper also said that India are in a very healthy position with a large pool of players.
“For every spot we have two-three players available. Great signs for Indian cricket. Right now we are on the right path and have a big pool of players to choose from,” said Kohli.
