India bowled out South Africa for 133 on Day 4 of the 3rd Test to complete their maiden series whitewash against South Africa in Ranchi. Doing so, skipper Virat Kohli added another feather to his illustrious hat as a captain for the Test side. He surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin to become the Indian captain to have led his side to most no. of series whitewashes in the longest format (minimum 3 matches in the series). Azharuddin had previously led his side to two series whitewashes, but Kohli has now completed three whitewashes as India captain in Tests.
Under Azharuddin, India had whitewashed England (3-0) in 1993 and Sri Lanka (3-0) in 1994. Apart from the recent win over Proteas, Kohli previously whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 in a home series in 2016 and then defeated Sri Lanka (3-0) in an away series in 2017.
Speaking at the end of the match, Indian captain Virat Kohli reiterated the importance of being multi-dimensional and being ready for all challenges at all times and this is what this side has managed to do.
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“You guys have seen how we’re playing. Making things happen on pitches that don’t seem to offer too much, is something we’re very proud of. Even when we travelled away from home, we wanted to compete. Getting into the right kind of mindset is something these guys have worked really hard to get into. Looking at the way these guys run into bowl, or even in the field, you can see that mindset. To be the best side in the world, you have to be multi-dimensional,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
This series was dominated by the Indian pacers and even on rather unresponsive pitches, they made things happen and this was highlighted by the skipper.
{{/usCountry}}This series was dominated by the Indian pacers and even on rather unresponsive pitches, they made things happen and this was highlighted by the skipper.
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“Spin was always our strength, batting was never a problem for us. Ishant was the only experienced bowler for us. We said we can play an extra bowler, and as batsmen we said we’ll get the job done. We’ve got runs in every Test match, our catching has been good too. (Goal) As I said, even without much experience, we travelled very well. We believe we can win anywhere. As long as we keep working with honest intent, those things will follow. We’ve wanted to be the best team in Test cricket, and as long as we compete, things will work out well for us,” he further added.