India skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday said that the wicket at Manuka Oval was more bowler-friendly than the one at Sydney which gave his bowlers confidence to defend the 302-run total they had put up. India won the third and final ODI by 13 runs and avoided a whitewash in the three-match series. India had lost the first two ODIs at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“I think the pitch was much better in terms of helping the bowlers. The bowlers got a bit more from the pitch. Obviously, the confidence levels go up. It shows that any total is not easy to chase down. We were able to put pressure on Australia. I have been playing international cricket for so long, 13-14 years, you have to come back from difficult situations and you pose a challenge to everyone,” said Kohli after the match.
“Jasprit (Bumrah always) takes it up. We were pretty clinical with the ball tonight and were also good in the field. This performance helps us take the momentum forward (into the T20 series).”
Bumrah took two for 43 in 9.3 overs while Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 51 in 10 overs. Debutant T Natarajan took two for 70.
