Kohli’s Innings was the Difference between the Two Teams: Shoaib Malik
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Virat Kohli saluting the Eden Gardens crowd as he come off the field after guiding India to a comprehensive 6 wickets win over Pakistan.Image Source: Xtra Time[/caption]
Internet Desk: Shoaib Malik heaped high praises on Virat Kohli for his match winning innings on Saturday. The former Pakistan captain was gracious in defeat and duly accepted that they had no answer to Virat Kohli's skills and that made the difference between the two teams.
"All credit to Virat Kohli... He was the difference between the two teams today," said Malik. "Virat backs his skills. That's his key. He reads the situation well and knows how to play on different tracks. That's why he's very consistent. He always believes that he is his best coach. As a batting unit, we need to do the same thing," Malik explained.
Malik blamed his team’s batting for the six-wicket loss to India here on Saturday.
"Win or loss is part and parcel of the game. There are a few areas we need to improve. The wicket was tough to bat on and our batting didn't go as expected. We could have set a better target. The credit should go to the Indian team. The way they played on this difficult pitch was commendable."
Talking about the Eden strip, Malik pointed out, "We were not really expecting this kind of pitch. Even MS (Dhoni) said the same thing. We expected a pitch that was similar to the one we played on against Bangladesh. The weather was not in your control. Even the toss is not. But yes, one area we have to improve on is our batting."
Malik defended the team management’s decision to play an extra pacer. "We all are human beings. We can take ideas... The wicket didn't seem much different to the one we played on against Bangladesh. Even MS mentioned he didn't think it would spin so much. We can't control things that are beyond us."
Lastly he blamed the openers for not capitalizing in the power play. "T20 is a format where you've got to be flexible. Our opening pair took a lot of overs and that hampered our chances.”
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