Kolhi rues errors, says India didn't deserve to win

Image
ANI Johannesburg [South Africa]
Last Updated : Feb 11 2018 | 2:30 PM IST

Trailing the series 3-0, South Africa came back strong in the fourth ODI of the six-match series to beat India by seven wickets and keep the series alive. India Skipper Virat Kohli congratulated the hosts on their first win, but lamented the unforced errors made by his team on the field.

South Africa chased down a rain-reduced target of 202 to win by 5 wickets with 15 balls remaining in a thrilling clash at the Wanderers in game which started on Saturday afternoon and ended on Sunday.

"In hindsight you have to give credit to South Africa. I think they played with a lot of character in the end, they pulled through, they deserved to win. They are a quality side, we expected them to play quality cricket and they played well tonight," Kohli said in a post match ceremony.

India were strongly placed in the match before the weather interrupted the match. After 31 overs in the first innings they were superbly placed at 176/1, with both of Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan seemingly nearing centuries.

However, as the game resumed, India lost Dhawan after scoring a century. They then lost quick wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya.

"After the break when Shikhar and Jinks [Ajinkya] came off the wicket played a bit differently, it wasn't as good to bat after the break," he said.

The skipper added, "After the lightning break the guys felt with the weather getting cooler, the wicket got faster in the evening, and that continued through the innings, so I don't think the guys quite settled in in the later half."

As South Africa came to bat in, India looked in control as AB de Villiers was sent packing with the hosts still needing 100 runs off only 67 balls remaining.

However, David Miller scored a fast 39 after being dropped by Shreyas Iyer at deep Yuzvendra Chahal ball.

He shared a quickfire stand of 72 with wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen, whose 43 not out off 27 balls earned him the man of the match award.

Kohli said, "It was more like a T20 game where you have to go after the bowlers and it can get difficult when people get into a groove and when a side has momentum it can be very difficult to stop them. Especially Miller and their wicket keeper batted very well, when we got AB I thought we were in the game, but those two guys took the game away from us."

"We did not grab our chances. You have to take your chances in this game, no balls are a fine line as well. We did not deserve to win tonight, that's the way the game goes," the skipper lamented.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 11 2018 | 2:21 PM IST

Next Story