India skipper Virat Kohli added another feather to his cap on Sunday as he equalled Sourav Ganguly’s record of 11 away Test wins as captain. Winning outside India has been an area of concern for Indian teams over the years, but first under Ganguly and now under Kohli, the team has looked to change their overseas record and the 137-run win at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground once again signalled that intent in this team under Kohli.

Speaking at the end of the game, Kohli made it clear that this was just the beginning and the team is looking to take giant strides in the new year when India take on Australia in the fourth Test of the series in Sydney. “We are not going to stop here. This (win) will give us more confidence and we will play more positively in Sydney. I think we have been really smart in all the departments in the two matches that we have won. That is the reason we have at least retained the trophy but job is not done yet. It’s not finished at all. We want to win the last Test match as well, if an opportunity comes our way. We don’t want to be complacent. We are all but ready for the final Test match,” he said.

Kohli once again insisted that not reading other people’s opinion has helped this unit. “It’s good thing that I don’t read any comments or what the opinions are. What matters is what we decide inside dressing room as a team unit. We were pretty clear that we want to bat third on this pitch and wanted to get more runs as the pitch was only getting worse. I always felt pitch had enough for the bowlers and a score around 400 will be extremely tough for Australia to chase down,” he said.

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The skipper was also high in praise of his fast bowlers. “The credit goes to our fast bowlers, especially Bumrah, he has been brilliant for us. The three seamers have broken a record for the highest number of wickets in a calendar year which is amazing for the pace trio. He (Bumrah) was unlucky not to get wickets in Perth. The way he bowled, it was almost criminal that he didn’t reap the rewards. The team management calmed him down and wickets for him came in bunches in this Test and he won us the Test match here at the MCG. I certainly feel proud as a captain to watch these guys bowling in partnerships, nobody is trying to outdo another guy, it’s all about what the team wants and what the kind of breakthroughs wants. That’s why they are so special. Our fast class cricket is amazing. The tough conditions with the second new ball makes bowlers hard and bowling with the old ball proved to be a difference in this match,” he explained.

Kohli also didn’t miss out on praising the batsmen as Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara played a pivotal role in the first innings for India. “Agarwal was amazing. His composure was excellent. Pujara was brilliant too. It is all about taking pride in your roles which you’re given. We have to play good cricket to be in the position we are in right now. We have never been in this position and now is the time to express ourselves even more,” he said.

First Published: Dec 30, 2018 08:47 IST