India vs New Zealand | Virat Kohli Bemoans Lack of Intent from India But Praises Kiwis for Executing Plans

India skipper Virat Kohli said his side’s lack of intent in the first Test and the inability to close things out in the second Test led to them being whitewashed 2-0 by hosts New Zealand.

The Kiwis registered a seven-wicket victory in the second Test and Kohli, speaking after the game was over in the post-match ceremony, praised the hosts for sticking to their plans well.”

“It was a matter of not having enough intent in the first game and then not closing it out here. We didn’t bowl in the right areas for long enough,” Kohli said.

“They created a lot of pressure. It was a combination of us not executing well enough and New Zealand sticking to their plans.”

Kohli, whose own form with the bat throughout the series was poor, was quick to point out that while the bowling largely delivered, the batsmen failed to stand up when it mattered the most.

“The batsmen didn’t do enough for the bowlers to try and attack. The bowling was good; I thought even in Wellington we bowled well.

“Sometimes if you bowl well and things don’t happen, you have to take it in your stride. It’s disappointing and we have to go back to the drawing board and correct things going forward.

India’s cause was not helped by the fact that they lost the toss on both occasions, yet Kohli refused to blame that on their defeats, saying they were simply unable to play the kind of cricket they wanted to.

“The toss, you could think about it being a factor but we don’t complain. It did give extra advantage to the bowlers in each Test but as an international side, you’re expected to understand that.

“We accept it upfront and if we have to win away from home, we have to do that. No excuses, just learning moving forward. In Tests, we weren’t able to play the cricket we wanted to.”