INDIA captain Rohit Sharma lavished huge praise on Virat Kohli after the second Test match between India and West Indies ended in a draw due to rain on the final day.
It was Kohli’s 500th International appearance and the former India skipper broke various records while playing against the Windies as he became the only batter in the world to smash a century in his 500th match.
It was a disappointing end for India as they had held the upper hand throughout the match. India, who had scored 438 and 181/2 declared in their two innings had reduced West Indies, chasing a target of 365, to 76/2 in their second innings at stumps on day four. The hosts, who scored 255 in their first innings, needed 290 runs to win the match.
On the fifth and final day, India were aiming for their bowlers to claim the remaining eight wickets needed in whatever time left in the match for pocketing another 12 points and adding more to their glowing start to the 2023-25 World Test Championship style. But in the end, the rain did not give them that opportunity as it rained relentlessly and the match ended in a draw.
During the post-match conference, Rohit Sharma lavished huge praise on Kohli’s game and also suggested the team to stabilise the innings like him.
“In Test matches, you need guys who stabilise the innings like what Virat (Kohli) did, he played superbly. You need the mixture of everything. We have depth, we have got variety. We are in the right place. It’s about getting the job done” said Rohit.
“Every win is different. Playing in WI has its own challenge. Happy with the way things went. We gave it a good shot, unfortunately we couldn’t get any play today. We actually went out with a positive intent yesterday. Rain had its final say. We were quite confident. You know how difficult it is batting last. We always wanted that kind of score where we wanted the opposition to go for it” added India captain.
Rohit Sharma Hails Mohammed Siraj For His Fifer
Mohammed Siraj was awarded as the man of the match after the pacer picked up five wickets against West Indies. It was Siraj’s career best performance in Test match.
“There wasn’t much on the surface. No play today, unfortunate for us. Siraj, I have been watching him closely. He’s taken such a giant step. He has led this attack. I don’t want anyone to lead the attack. I want everyone to lead when they are having the ball in their hand. You want the entire pace battery taking the responsibility” added Rohit.
Now team India will play 3 match ODI series against West Indies, which will start from 27 July and the first match will be played at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
