India has drawn first blood against South Africa by winning the Boxing Day Test in the Freedom Series. Mohammed Shami played a significant role in the win. Here's what Virat Kohli had to say about him.
Team India was on a roll in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. It secured a 113-run win at Centurion Park on Thursday (Day 5). Much of the credit goes to the Indian bowlers, especially seamer Mohammed Shami for his eight-wicket haul in the Test. In the same light, skipper Virat Kohli has had words of great inspiration for him.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Kohli counted Shami among the best three seamers in the world right now. He hailed his impactful performances to date, as Shami claimed his 200th Test wicket in this Test. Praising him as world-class, he commended his strong wrist, seam position, and ability to get the length right consistently.
Kohli also lauded the other bowlers in the side for putting on a solid show, besides congratulating the batters for their bold approach on Day 1. "The discipline that the batters showed... Winning the toss, batting first overseas is a tough challenge. Credit to Mayank and KL for the way they set it up. We knew we were in pole position with anything over 300-320. We have a lot of belief in our bowling unit and knew the bowlers would get the job done," he said.
India's next stop will be at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, as it eyes its first-ever Test series win in the country. Notably, India had won the last time it played at the venue. "It's always a difficult place to play against South Africa. We got so much confidence out of Johannesburg last time. It's a ground we love playing at," he concluded.