Galle, July 29: Indian captain Virat Kohli described the team's convincing victory over Sri Lanka in the 1st Test here today (July 29) as "more special".
The Kohli-led side thrashed Sri Lanka by 304 runs on the 4th day to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match rubber. The 2nd game starts in Colombo on Thursday (August 3). Chasing 550, the hosts were all out for 245 in 76.5 overs (Asela Gunaratne and Rangana Herath did not bat due to injuries).
Speaking after the match, Kohli said India's bowlers had to work hard on a surface which did not offer much to them and due to this it was "special".
"The surface did not offer much. That is why this win is more special. The bowlers had to work hard. The pitch was pretty good for batting," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony on Saturday.
That's it. A comprehensive victory and #TeamIndia take a 1-0 lead in the series #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/gTJKnWneMH
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 29, 2017
"Persistent pressure for longer periods always pays off and that's something I believe in," he added.
Kohli, who scored 103 not out in the 2nd innings, said, it was always special to reach the three-figure mark.
"To get another hundred in Test cricket is always special," he said on his 17th ton in the longer format of the game.
All smiles after a man of the match performance @SDhawan25 #TeamIndia #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/aEFZLw2Vnm
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 29, 2017
He also praised opener Abhinav Mukund, who scored 81. "I thought Abhinav really batted well. He deserved a hundred as well," the skipper said.
With Shikhar Dhawan (190), Mukund among the runs in this Test and KL Rahul fit to return to the Playing XI for the next match, Kohli described the selection issue as "massive headache". Rahul missed the match due to viral fever.
Great Win. 😀 Well played boys @SDhawan25 @cheteshwar1 👌🔝 pic.twitter.com/XrCesYJqnI
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 29, 2017
"I think it is a massive headache, but a good one to have. At most, only 3 openers make the squad. It is good to have guys scoring rather than guys not scoring consistently. I think the guys will understand how the dynamics of the team work," the Delhi batsman said.
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