India had to declare the innings on 36-9 after Mohammad Shami got injured, recording its lowest ever total in test cricket.
Reacting on India’s eight-wicket loss to Australia in their first-ever overseas day-night Test played with the pink ball, Captain Virat Kohli said that the batsmen did not show “enough intent” on Day 3, adding that this loss “really hurts”. The skipper also said that it’s “hard to put those feelings into words”. As Australian duo of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood swept Indian batting off its feet, Indian batsmen failed to put up even a single individual double-digit score in an embarrassing defeat. Virat Kohli, talking about Australia’s bowling, said they had bowled similar kinds of line and length in the first innings as well but their positive mindsets helped them do fare better in the first innings.
“It’s very hard to put those feelings into words. We had a lead of 60-odd when we arrived. And then just collapsed. Played two days of good cricket to get in a position and then just lose it in an hour. It really hurts. Probably didn’t have enough intent in the batting today. It’s something that needs to be reflected and learnt from,” the Indian skipper said at the post-match presentation.
“Bowlers bowled similar kind of areas in the first winnings as well, but then our mindset was to get runs. There were some good balls. But I don’t think it did anything drastic. Just the atmosphere was created where runs were difficult to come by. I think it was a combination of both – lack of intent, and bowlers bowling in good areas,” Kohli added, raising a question mark the lack of intent shown by the Indian batsmen in the second innings. India had to declare the innings on 36-9 after Mohammad Shami got injured, recording its lowest-ever total in test cricket.
Virat Kohli, giving an update on Shami’s injury, said: “No news on Shami, he’s going for a scan now. Was in a lot of pain, couldn’t even lift his arm. We’ll probably know in the evening what happens”.
For the remaining games, Virat Kohli will return back to India on his paternity leave, and Ajinkya Rahane will be taking over the captaincy.
“Obviously you want to be committed to the team’s cause. Confident the boys going forward will reflect on this and come up with a better result on Boxing Day,” Kohli said.
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