People stopped believing in us but we didn't: Kohli

Indian captain Virat Kohli today said that his team never stopped believing in their abilities even though a lot of people had given up on them after back-to-back defeat against England in the first two Test matches.

The comprehensive 203-run win in the third Test kept India alive in the five-match series and Kohli was effusive in his praise of his players for believing in themselves.

"We were down 0-2 in the series and a lot of people have stopped believing in us. But we believed in ourselves and that is why it is 1-2 now after 0-2. All that matter was what we thought inside the change room. Anything on the outside did not really matter. We believe we can win the series," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"The victory was much-needed in the context of this series. We have been clinical in all departments and its is a victory for the entire dressing room. A complete Test win for us," Kohli said.

Asked if he had exorcised the ghosts of his batting failure in 2014, he said, "I haven't thought about the 2014 failures, but I am happy to have contributed to my team's cause."
"It was about getting stuck and not throwing our wickets away. England have a quality attack and you need grit and determination to score against them, and Ajinkya did that in the first innings and Pujara in the second."
Asked how suddenly has India produced quality fast bowlers, he said:"The most pleasing thing for me to see was that the four fastest bowlers in the series have all been Indians. We've worked on our fitness, on our mind set, cutting down on loose deliveries. They're getting better and better the more Test cricket they've played. It's a delight to watch when they're running in."
"We just have to give the credit to India. They left very well, and it was hard for the seamers to get wickets early on, so credit to India. We very much under performed in the first innings. I don't think there are any regrets for me about the team selection. It's a strong team that we have."
"In the second innings, the partnership between Buttler and Stokes was admirable and a lesson in how to play Test cricket. It's not about being defensive, but how well they adapted to the situation and built partnership. We have to look at that, and adapt our games individually in Southampton and give ourselves a good chance to score 400 plus so we can put some scoreboard pressure."
"We have to find ways to deal with him. We have experienced bowlers, who can work him out."