Our bowlers tried their best: Virat Kohli

India needed 6 wickets on the 5th day of the second Test to win the match, but the Indian bowlers failed to bowl West Indies out. However, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli defended his bowlers, saying that they did their best under the circumstances.

India was on top of their game and looked well in control to win the match, but the all-around performances from Roston Chase stole the show.

“Testing day. That’s what Test cricket is all about. It is a pity we lost most of fourth day’s play. But that is no excuse and credit to the way West Indies played. When you lose a Test and are behind in the second one, it takes something special to save the match,” Kohli said.

“Our bowlers tried our best, we created some chances, but they did not go to hand. In the first four days, the wicket was very active. The hardness of the ball was a factor. On these pitches when the ball is not hard enough, play goes dead for 25-30 overs. But I am pretty pleased with the effort the boys put in after tea as well. Everybody put in the last push,” he added.

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This is not the first time, Indian bowlers failed to complete their job, but it mostly happened when India played with 4 specialist bowlers in the past. However, that was not the case in this Test as Virat Kohli has insisted to go with 5 bowlers.

“We don’t want to walk away from the field wishing we had the fifth bowler. If five bowlers have given their best, and the opposition has done well, you just doff your hat to them (the West Indians),” Kohli said.

After the huge win in the first Test match, Kohli had said, “If you have just won a Test match in the manner we did in Antigua, it does not leave much room for change.”

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West Indies skipper Jason Holder said that he advised Jermaine Blackwood to play his natural game. “He is an attacking batsman, even in Test cricket and I told him to go play his natural game,” he said.