‘Want to Give More Game Time to Rahul and Rishabh’: Virat Kohli

Indian skipper full of praise for his bowlers for making a match out of a low score in the first T20I vs Australia.

Virat Kohli (left) shared a 55-run stand with KL Rahul, who returned to the Indian side for the first time since the ‘Koffee’ controversy.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/BCCI)

India captain Virat Kohli wasn't perturbed by his team's shoddy batting performance in the first T20 International against Australia as he is looking to give more chances to KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant looking ahead to the World Cup in England.

Rahul made an impressive half-century on his comeback to the national team, but Pant was needlessly run-out during India’s three-wicket defeat – in a last-ball finish – at Visakhapatnam on Sunday, 24 February.

Chasing 127 to win, Australia were cruising to the target before Jasprit Bumrah’s sensational 19th over very nearly turned the game around in India’s favour.

“We want to give Rahul and Rishab more game-time. Rahul played a really good knock and we had a good partnership. Had we gone on, we could have got 150, which would have been a match-winning score on this pitch. But Australia played better cricket overall and deserved to win.”

Virat Kohli

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli was full of praise for his bowlers for making a match of a target as low as 127.

“Very pleased with the bowling effort. Never thought we would be in this situation but Bumrah can do wonders when the ball is reversing. Even Mayank (Markande) bowled brilliantly ( in the 17th over), I thought.”

Virat Kohli

Jasprit Bumrah (3/16) very nearly swung the first T20I against Australia at Visakhapatnam in India’s favour with a sensational 19th over.(Photo: AP)

Winning captain Aaron Finch also conceded that facing Bumrah in the death overs is not an easy proposition.

“When Bumrah has got overs up his sleeve, it's never easy. But the run-outs didn't help either. Maxwell played a hell of an innings on a difficult pitch,” Finch said while lauding the senior batsman, who was the top-scorer of the match with a 43-ball 56.

Pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with figures of 3/26, and was adjudged to be the Player of the Match.

“I thought the boys bowled really well and we scraped home. We worked out quickly that the ball was not coming on to the bat. We have been playing a bit of cricket in the BBL. Really good to have a win and hopefully we will have another one and win the series,” said Coulter-Nile.