India vs New Zealand: Virat Kohli hails 'complete team performance' after whitewashing Kiwis

India Test skipper Virat Kohli hailed his team’s performance as “all-round” and “complete” after the hosts pulled off a 321-run victory over New Zealand on Day 4 of the third Test in Indore to whitewash the three-match series in style.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli also praised leading off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who spun the Black Caps out of the game to record match-figures of 13/140, and win the ‘Man of the Match’ and ‘Man of the Series’ awards.

“Couldn’t have asked for anything better. Everytime there was a partnership, one of us managed to break the partnership. It was upto the bowlers to express themselves, but not take it lightly, and that’s what they did.

“You can leave Ash (MoS Ravichandran Ashwin) aside, he is not to be mentioned in the XI. Jadeja with the bat in the first game, Saha with the bat in the second (Test), Rohit with those crucial knocks,” Kohli was quoted as saying at the post-match presentation ceremony.

On a lighter vein, Kohli said that Ashwin seems to have “lost count of his Man of the Series awards but the team is keeping a count of his achievements”.

“We keenly follow his numbers, we discuss his Man of the Series awards after every series. No. 6, No 7. Credit to him I wish him well.”

Skipper Kohli was also given the ICC Test mace by former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar after the hosts dislodged Pakistan from the top of the table following their victory in the second Test. India have now consolidated their occupation of the No 1 rank, and will remain there regardless of the outcome of the upcoming Pakistan-West Indies Test series.

Chasing a mammoth 475, the Kiwis were bundled out for a paltry 153 runs in their second innings. Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin once again emerged as the wrecker-in-chief, taking seven wickets and an overall 13 scalps in the match.

Earlier, riding on Cheteshwar Pujara’s brilliant 101 and opener Gautam Gambhir’s 56-ball 50, India declared their second innings at 216/3 with an overall lead of 474 runs, just before the tea break.

The entire New Zealand second innings were wrapped up virtually in one session.

With inputs from Agencies