Skipper Virat Kohli is amazed by the top performance of his boys

Kohli was the Man of Match in Team India's 203-run victory at Trent Bridge.

Published - 22 Aug 2018, 20:02 IST | Updated - 22 Aug 2018, 20:02 IST

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The Indian team rose from a massive slump after an innings defeat at Lord’s to give it back to England in the third Test match. It was a thoroughly clinical effort from the entire team to attain one of their most convincing and dominant win. It was skipper Virat Kohli’s effort with the bat scoring 97 and his partnership worth 159 with Ajinkya Rahane in the first innings that ensured the Indian team got past the 300-run mark.

Ishant Sharma & Co. responded perfectly, the England batsmen were never let off the hook in conditions that aided fast bowling. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami played their part with the ball but it was Hardik Pandya who stole the show. The all-rounder claimed his maiden five-wicket haul and Team India bowled the hosts for 161 thus gaining a 168-run first innings lead.

The perfect performance

The confidence they had gained early in the match helped the Indian batters the shots KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan played was a perfect display of positive intent and confidence. They got them off to a great start and Kohli was more than ready to capitalize. Cheteshwar Pujara and he had to grind really hard on day 3. The skipper got to his 23rd Test hundred while Pujara fell for 72 but they had set India up for another 300-plus total and Hardik Pandya with his half century got them there.

A struggling English line-up had an impossible looking 521-run target ahead of them and two days of play still left in the match. The Indian bowlers were up for the task once again and led by Ishant who gave them the early blows Jasprit Bumrah got in the act soon to claim a five-wicket haul as well. They almost wrapped England up on day 4 but the last wicket pair survived and took the game into the last day.

Ravichandran Ashwin concluded the formalities in the third over of the morning and Team India won by 203 runs. Captain Virat Kohli for his magnificent hundred and for scoring a total of 200 runs in the Test match was awarded the Man of the Match.

After the win, he tweeted- “Top performance by the boys! Amazing game and a great win”