Kohli says win in Adelaide a ‘huge huge boost’ for India

Reuters - Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Monday (December 10) said his team's victory in the first test match against Australia was a good platform for them to build on and secure a breakthrough series win Down Under. The tourists had to work hard to remove Australia's last four batsmen on the final day at Adelaide Oval but finally broke through at the end of an extended middle session to send India's travelling fans into raptures. Kohli said it was a great feeling to take a lead in a test series-opener in Australia but demanded more from his players and urged them to capitalize on the positives from Adelaide. Faced with a docile wicket and tenacious tail-end slogging, Virat Kohli's team bowled with patience and determination to claim India's first win in the country since Anil Kumble's men beat a Ricky Ponting-led Australia by 72 runs in Perth in 2008. After suffering defeat in their first home test without the suspended Steve Smith and David Warner, Tim Paine's Australia will go into the second match with batting worries confirmed. On a pitch that presented few demons, only two home batsmen managed scores above 50 across the match, with a majority of victims falling due to poor shot selection. "It's pretty hard to take," Paine said. Kohli's side banked 123 and 71 from man of the match Cheteshwar Pujara, while Ajinkya Rahane chipped in a vital 70 in the second innings against a world-class seam attack. India has been excited by their own pace bowlers and they delivered when it counted. Mohammed Shami had 3-65 in the second innings and Jasprit Bumrah (3-68) made key breakthroughs on day five. Ishant Sharma started the ball rolling by taking Travis Head's wicket for 14 in the morning. No team had scored more than 315 runs in a successful run chase at Adelaide Oval but Lyon and Hazlewood kept the crowd entertained in a final 32-run stand before falling short.