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India were not up to the mark: Virat Kohli

Skipper Virat Kohli said India need to find balance ahead of series against England

By Unnikrishnan
India skipper Virat Kohli says India could not challenge England in the third ODI

Leeds, July 18: Admitting that India were not up to the mark, skipper Virat Kohli said team needs to find more balance ahead of the Test series against England and prior to the ICC World Cup 2018.

"We need to have a good balance in the side, and we need to get our act right before the World Cup. We can't rely on one skill, and we need to do well in all departments," Kohli said after England beat India by eight wickets in the third ODI to win the series 2-1.

Kohli said England deserved to win and India were not good enough on the day.

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"We were never up to the mark as far as runs were concerned. We had 25-30 runs too little. England were clinical in all departments and throughly deserved to win. We need to be at our best against a team like England. The pitch was slow throughout the day which was surprising, not damp, just slow.

"Against the new ball it was two-paced but slow with the spinners. Haven't seen pitches like that here before. The bowlers did well, especially their spinners who didn't get greedy and contained the runs before getting wickets eventually," Kohli said.

Kohli reserved a word of praise for Adil Rashid, the England leg-spinner who castled him in the third ODI.

"I've been playing against Rashid since U-19 and it was a terrific ball, so it's just one of those balls that you have to take in your stride and say "Wow". I'm surprised that his turn has reduced over the years, but this one was an amazing ball," said Kohli.

Kohli defended his decision to ring in a few changes for the decide, saying it looked bad because of the adverse result.

"We thought Dinesh did well, but he couldn't convert his start, so I don't regret the batting order changes. Shardul was meant to get some exposure, and Bhuvi needed to make a comeback. When the changes don't come off, they look unnecessary so it must be taken in our stride," said Kohli.

Joe Root of England was named man-of-the-series for his two hundreds.

"It's about putting faith in your game and backing your ability, so I'm happy I have done well in the last two games and I'll take the confidence into the Tests. We've done well here over the last few years. The pressure of this being a must-win game was important and I am happy I contributed," said Root.

Story first published: Wednesday, July 18, 2018, 9:47 [IST]
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