Kohli praises bowlers for Test win against England

Indian captain Virat Kohli today heaped praise on his bowlers, especially debutant Jayant Yadav, for their contribution in the 246-run win over England in the second cricket Test here.

Kohli said everything fell in place in both batting and bowling which made the victory possible after the draw in the first Test at Rajkot.

"It was lovely to have five bowlers who can pick up wickets. The biggest positives of this Test are how the fast bowlers bowled and Jayant's debut. He (Jayant) got one wicket in England first innings, scored some runs and then took another three wickets in second innings," Kohli said after India beat England by 246 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

"It's always priceless those contributions and it speaks volumes of his character. For a young guy to come in and tell his captain the field he wants, the line and length he would bowl, it shows he knows what he is doing. I'm really happy for him," said Kohli about Jayant who made his Test debut in this match.

Talking about his side's batting show, Kohli said, "A lot of people had questioned the team's performance at Rajkot. So we wanted to win this match. We wanted to make sure we batted five sessions, get 450 plus, which is what we did. Then the bowlers were always on top. Scoreboard pressure really counts."

Kohli was adjudged man of the match for his 167 and 81 in the two innings and he talked about his special relation with this ground where he has always done well with the bat.

"It's been a lucky ground for me and it remains a special ground, similar feel I get to Adelaide. You want to play exciting cricket because so many people come to watch. They help you through tough situations," he said.

"There wasn't much happening in the wicket, but the batsmen succumbed. I knew I was striking the ball well. It was tough but I thought I can take on the England bowlers before they apply pressure on us," Kohli said when asked about his two innings.

Asked what would be the approach of the team in the next three matches, he said, "We've been playing some really good cricket in the first two Tests . We don't want to be complacent but don't want to be desperate either. We respect England. We want to continue with this nice momentum. Our approach will be a right balance of not being desperate and not too much of relaxation."