‘Always Been A Wonderful Contest’: Pat Cummins Praises Virat Kohli After Winning Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1; Video

Australia defeated India by six wickets in Sydney to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after nearly 10 years. Following the victory, skipper Pat Cummins praised Virat Kohli during the post-match press conference, acknowledging his impact on the game over the years and his dominance in the red-ball format.

While praising Cummins said, "It's always been a wonderful contest against him. The runs he brings to the game add a bit of theater and sometimes instill fear, which works to his advantage. But it can also unsettle the opposition, and that's part of his plan. 

If this is his last series against us, we’ve always enjoyed playing against him". He also described Kohli as a star batter over the past decade, emphasizing the significance of his wicket in turning matches.

Despite starting the series with a century in the first Test in Perth, Virat Kohli struggled throughout the five-match series. He managed just 190 runs at an average of 23.75 and found it difficult to counter the fourth-stump deliveries. Scott Boland emerged as his nemesis, dismissing him four times in the series.

The Sydney test was three day affair with bowlers from both teams taking a total of 34 wickets. On Day 3 of the final test, India resumed were bowled out for 157, setting Australia a modest target of 162. Scott Boland shine with the ball, taking six wickets, while Pat Cummins chipped in with three.

In response, Australia chased down the target comfortably. Usman Khawaja scored 41, and despite a few early breakthroughs by Prasidh Krishna (3 wickets) and Mohammed Siraj who claimed his 100th Test wicket dismissing Usman Khawaja, Travis Head (34*) and Beau Webster (39*) sealed the win.

With this victory, Australia secured their spot in the World Test Championship final alongside South Africa, marking a memorable end to their Border-Gavaskar campaign.

Published on: Sunday, January 05, 2025, 06:15 PM IST