Virat Kohli defends dismal India show vs Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy final

India crashed to a 180-run defeat as Pakistan won their maiden Champions Trophy at The Oval.

Virat Kohli defended India’s poor showing in the ICC Champions Trophy final after Pakistan cruised to an 180-run win with 117 balls to spare. (HIGHLIGHTS)

India's Virat Kohli leaves the pitch after being dismissed for five runs during the ICC Champions Trophy final against Pakistan.(AP)

“We tried our best but Pakistan outplayed us in all departments of the game. It’s no shame losing to a better team,” Kohli said in his post-match chat with reporters at The Oval. (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: India vs Pakistan, ICC Champions Trophy final - best moments)

On Sunday, India failed in two departments of the game that have won them matches in recent times. The bowlers failed to contain the Pakistan batsmen in the first 10 overs, lost the plot in the death overs and composure deserted the top-order batsmen when they chased Pakistan’s 338 for four.

Kohli said he was proud of India’s performance in the Champions Trophy and reiterated that “results can’t be guaranteed.”

READ | Pakistan consign India to horror defeat in Champions Trophy final

India lost wickets in clusters and Mohammad Amir’s three for 16 gave Pakistan the start they wanted. Kohli himself threw caution to the winds after surviving a dropped catch at slips. He was out next ball trying to flick a ball that was back of length and on the off-stump.

“No batsman goes out there to throw his wicket, no bowler wants to give away runs. It was a bad day in office for us and we must accept this loss and move on,” the Indian captain said.

FLICKER OF HOPE

Kohli said there was flicker of hope when Hardik Pandya started punishing the Pakistan attack. Described by Kohli as a ‘complete package’, Pandya hit the tournament’s fastest fifty off 32 balls, but the all-rounder was left with too much on his plate. His run out, thanks to Ravindra Jadeja, put Pakistan on the path to a landslide win.

“Can never tell in a chase what’s going to happen. Yes, we have shown the composure in pressure situations most often in this tournament, but that is no guarantee that you’re going to do it every time.

“Obviously your best effort is to try and do it every time, but cricket is not about doing well in every game that you play. You will have failures, and one team has to lose on the day, and today was our day to lose because the opposition played much better than us,” said a candid Kohli.

Kohli praised Pakistan’s opening duo that put on a match-winning 128-run stand. The captain, leading India for the first time in the Champions Trophy, said Fakhar Zaman’s innings took India by surprise.

CAUGHT UNAWARES

“Azhar is a very conventional cricketer, he plays shots that you can plan against, and you can still have bowling plans and so forth, but a guy like Zaman, when he gets going it becomes real difficult to stop them because I think 80 % of his shots were high-risk and they were all coming off,” said Kohli.

READ | Virat Kohli praises Pakistan, says can beat anyone after ICC Champions Trophy win

Kohli said the team will analyse this defeat. The captain was worried that 25 extras were conceded and one of them, a no ball from Jasprit Bumrah, gave Fakhar Zaman the opportunity to smash a decisive century that left the defending champions befuddled.