A really convincing series win for India says Kohli

Nagpur, Oct 1 (Cricketnmore) India captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri were effusive in their praise for pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah after the team clinched the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series 4-1 here on Sunday.

Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah scalped five wickets each in the four matches they played -- but what struck the most was their performances during the death overs.

"The death bowling is tremendous. It is all down to skills. When you have bowlers like these, they bring you back in the final overs," Shastri said after India defeated Australia by seven wickets in the fifth and final ODI.

"They complement each other really well, they have experience, have different actions and hit their yorkers to perfection."

Kohli too complimented the two right-armers. "Bhuvi and Bumrah have been outstanding for us. They are a class apart. Whenever the game has tended to slip away, they've pulled it back nicely."

The captain said registering a convincing win over Australia says a lot of his side's quality.

"It feels good. It was a really convincing series win for us. We have ticked all the boxes. We were put under pressure many times and we came back four times to win four games," the Delhi batsman said.

"I am happy with the way the team played. We repeated the way we played against Sri Lanka, proud of that. It shows the quality of the side, regardless of the opposition."

Asked about the ruthless nature of his side, Kohli said: "It's become second nature for them (to win games). The management plays a massive part in motivating the players when we need to find motivation after being 3-0 up in the series.

"We had a chance to retain the No.1 spot and we ended up doing well. These guys have made it possible by their hard work."

We deserved to lose series, says Steve Smith

---

IANS