XtraTime Web Desk: Despite playing outstanding cricket throughout the competition, India bows out of the ICC World Cup in the semi finals against New Zealand.
After the defeat, a disappointing Virat Kohli said, “The first half, we were very, very good. We got what we needed at that point. We thought we had restricted New Zealand to a chaseable score but the way they came out with the ball was what made the difference. The game pretty much changed in those first 40 minutes when we were batting,” Virat Kohli conceded at the post-match presentation ceremony in Manchester.
“They really put up a great display on how to bowl with the new ball. They forced us to make errors. Pressure created was immense. I think for the first 7 or 8 overs we didn’t get a ball to drive. That shows the kind of control they had.”
“We knew we had a good day yesterday, we felt like we had the moment, but the credit has to go to New Zealand bowlers. The swing and help they got from the surface – the skill from them was on display,” Kohli said.
Once the New Zealand pacers made the early dent, India were always behind the eight ball and struggled to break the shackles. Curiously, each of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik walked out to bat before the experienced MS Dhoni. Pant and Pandya put a lid on the quick fall of wickets, but still found it tough to up the scoring rate.
Kohli felt Jadeja’s 59-ball 77 – laced with four fours and four sixes – was probably his best ODI knock considering the situation that it came in, and rued the game of margins in which New Zealand came up trumps towards the end.
“Jadeja had a really good couple of games and it’s his performances that are a huge positive. He went with so much clarity, MS had a good partnership with him. It was a game of margins and MS was run-out. 45 minutes of bad cricket puts you out of the tournament.”
“Difficult to take it – but New Zealand deserve it. Our shot selection could have been better, but we played a good standard of cricket throughout. New Zealand were braver in crunch situations and they deserve it,” Kohli said.