Fans pulled us through in series win over Australia: Virat Kohli following final T20I
Indian skipper Virat Kohli was pleased with the way his side competed against Australia and bounced back in the 3 T20Is after losing the ODI series.
Kohli's knock of 85 runs off just 61 deliveries nearly helped India claim a clean-sweep in the T20I series. Despite losing the final T20I against Australia, Kohli felt that winning the series helps India end 2020 on a high. The skipper also spoke about how the presence of fans in the stadium impacted his team's performance.
"We are finding ways to come back and give the opposition a scare and the series win is a little asterisk for us to finish the 2020 season on a high. I feel the crowd was a factor as well, it always gives you a dimension of motivation," noted Virat Kohli.
"Our crowd pulls us through sometimes, and Australia's too. We, as players, feed off the crowd's energy. We need to take the same competitive attitude into the Tests," added Kohli.
In T20 cricket you have to take your chances: Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli also spoke about the narrow defeat in the third ODI. India looked to be cruising when Kohli and Dhawan were at the crease. But Australia bounced back in the second half of the innings, with Mitchell Swepson taking three wickets to peg India back.
"In T20 cricket, you have to take your chances. I thought when Hardik got going, we could pull this one off, and eventually, we found out we had a bit too much to do in the end," observed Kohli.
Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli still came close to pulling off an impossible chase, but ultimately, they fell just short. The former was named the Player of the Series for his excellent performances in the first two games. Playing as a specialist batsman, Pandya played a vital role in helping India win the series.
There have been rumours that Pandya could be a late inclusion in the Test squad, but the all-rounder said after the game that he would now head back home to be with his family.
"I'm quite pleased. I felt it was a team effort, not an individual one. We all decided, after the 2nd ODI, that we'll treat this as a four-match series. We were hoping that we would win 3 out of 4 and that's what we got. I haven't seen my child for four months, so I'd like to spend some time with family right now," revealed Hardik Pandya.
India will next play Australia A in a tour match before the first Test gets underway in Adelaide on December 17th.