Scorecard
India: 329 & 352-7 (declared)
England: 161 & 317
Match Result: India won by 203 Runs
Man of the Match: Virat Kohli for his 97 & 103 Runs
Just 10 minutes and 17 balls! This was the whole game of the 5th day of 3rd test between England and India. As Ravichandran Ashwin's balls touched James Anderson's gloves, all the people started screaming together, 'Catch it!' A little far from the slip, the Indian Vice Captain Ajinkya Rahane has not faced any difficulty in catching this easy catch. But after this, there isn't any celebration at all, the heat of the excitement of winning the match ain't seen anywhere. While walking towards the pavilion, KL Rahul took a stump as Momento for Virat Kohli, but Virat did not take it. However, Hardik Pandya and Jaspreet Bumrah had one stump each to remember this amazing test and their performance too.
On the morning of Wednesday, there is hardly a thousand people to witness the victory of team India including the special guest Mrs Kohli. In the Edgbaston Test, we had seen her going out of the stadium with a very sad face and a few tears in her eyes. But we watched the same Anushka on Wednesday, with a lovely smile that touched the fresh air of the morning. After the catch, Anushka jumped like a child as Team India won the match.
While Virat Kohli also didn't forget to talk about his love in the post-match presentation ceremony. In the last moments of the presentation ceremony, the Indian Captain took a bottle of Champagne from the hands of Mike Atherton and said, "It's for my wife. In a difficult situation and during pressure for standing with me always. For help me to think positively at all times, I would like to name her in this award." Before all of this, this victory is dedicated to Kerela. "This victory, on behalf of my team, will dedicate to the people in Kerala who are currently suffering for the flood. They really are in a bad condition."
When asked about the strategy of this match, he says, "After losing 2 matches continuously we all sit and started to discuss. If we catch the South Africa tour, in the last 5 Tests in the Foreign Countries, we have lost just a single time like a disaster and it happened in the Lord's Test. We don't need to change anything at all. Cause in the Buckingham Test we were very close to the victory. While talking about batting, we discussed that when our bowlers performing well if you got enough runs in the scoreboard then the result might be different. And our thinking was right, in Trent Bridge, we had run in the scoreboard that is why we finally won the match. We believed ourself that we can do it." Virat also added, "After the Edgbaston Test our bowlers were hungry to take 20 wickets in the Lords Test too. They just need the support, the support of our runs on board. If batting-bowling along with slip catching works, then nobody can stop you to win the match. I am very happy that all our players have done their responsibilities properly at the right time. No other thing can be better than this".
Captain Virat Kohli has separately said about Indian Vice Captain Ajinkya Rahane. Who made 15, 2, 19 and 13 in that series. The 81 Runs on the 1st inning is the first half-century of his last 14 innings. "Jinx is clear with his mindset and I liked that thing. He always thinks positively. He prepared himself insidely and when he comes to the field and played such like that the match changes its way. We both had done this in the first innings. During our partnership, we are talking that how to extend the innings further. We need the patience, where the opponent had to be tired. Their bowling line up is very strong, where to score you need guilt, patience, confidence, concentration, and determination. Jinx in the first innings and Puji in the second innings did the same.
Virat looks very happy to see the bowlers performance. "Bowlers are waiting for that situation, where they had runs in their hands. The amazing return of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya 5 Wickets in the 1st innings, the experience of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami. Last but not the least the spin magician Ravichandran Ashwin. I am very proud of my bowlers. I feel very happy when I saw that the top 4 fastest bowlers in the series are Indians. This not happens in a single day, we worked hard for our fitness. We work hard on our mindset, we all were ready to play. This isn't easy to score in Test as a batsman I know it very well. That's why when our pacers didn't make easy to score for the opponent batsman, I feel very good. Our bowlers showed amazing performance in Edgbaston as well as here."
Can you do 3-2? When asked Virat answered, "Why not? Our Team will play the remaining tests to win." After this win, on Thursday Team India will fly to London. The team practice will start again at Southampton on 27th August. The 4th test will start on 30th August.
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