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Kohli and team won the last and final ODI against West Indies and remarked the table as 3-1 which is very much satisfying for the captain himself and he too took time to praise their batsmen and bowlers for making the win worth it
It was a 5 match series out of which the 1st match got washed away due to rain and no result was found upon it, after that the team won 2 back to back matches and after that got a defying loss and the final match against marked a victory for the team
“The intent today was not to get stuck in and string in too many dot balls – get away boundaries every now and then and for that you need a clear mindset – as in when to get the boundary and when to keep the scoreboard ticking. After a disappointing last game, I thought today we were really clinical and I am very happy about it,” Kohli added.
Kohli, who got out to the rising ball in back to back games, seemed aware of what was in store for him. Known to go hard on himself, the skipper spoke about how it is important to not repeat the mistakes at this level. “I don’t like to get out in similar fashion more often. The reason you succeed at international cricket is you have to stretch the gap between your mistakes and I think a couple of mistakes for me, getting out in the same manner is something I don’t like. It was more of on being strict on myself and then getting the team across the line, which I knew the victory was inevitable when I got the hundred.
“If you get into a clear mindset and give yourself targets, after reaching 30-40, I am going to start pulling the ball or I am going to start taking on the short ball. Then your targets become easier, you have a clearer picture so as to when you want to take on the short ball,” he noted.
It was a momentous occasion for the captain, not just for the series win his team bagged but for the personal landmark he achieved during the course of the innings. With his 18th ton in run-chases, Kohli overtook Sachin
Tendulkar for the most number of hundreds in chases. Known to relish the challenge of chasing down towering totals, 206 wasn’t too arduous but the skipper stayed focused and remained unbeaten till the end to see his side through.
“I mentioned I like to have a total on the board, exactly what you need to do and when to take on the bowlers, which bowler to take on and at what stage of the game. To read situations it becomes easier when you have a total on the board. It doesn’t happen often every time, but more often than not, if you can believe that whatever total is on the board you can plan and chase it down, it ends up happening. Naturally I like those kind of scenarios, the target is in front of me, it becomes a challenge that you got to achieve. It gets me going,” Kohli revealed.
“I was not too happy about how I was getting out and then end up getting a century convincingly and remaining not out and getting your team across the line, I think it is a complete package for a batsman, you cannot have a more ideal scenario.
“When you have a chanceless knock as well, where you have not given half chances as well, from that point of view, it was a complete day personally and for the team as well,” a visibly content Kohli mentioned