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Kohli: We never complained about the wickets

Johannesburg - Indian skipper Virat Kohli has stressed the fact that his side has not complained about any of the Test wickets in South Africa.

The Indians lost the three-match Test series 2-1, but restored a significant dose of pride with a 63-run win on a Wanderers wicket that has been the talking point of the match. 

With the ball jumping up off a length and moving around wildly, batsmen from both sides at the Wanderers were peppered throughout the Test and at one stage on day three the umpires pulled the players off the field because of safety concerns. 

Kohli had said before a game was played that his side would not be using conditions as an excuse should things not go their way on the tour, and he believes he has stayed true to his word. 

The wicket in Cape Town for the first Test was incredibly green and, as a result of the assistance it gave the seamers, the Test was over in nine sessions. 

"Firstly, we never complained about the tracks we played on," Kohli said after the completion of the third Test.

"Secondly, when we saw the pitch, we knew it’s going to be an equal chance for both sides. We decided to take the challenge head on, so it feels really, really satisfying to have won on a pitch that was supposed to have pace and bounce and it did and it played to our advantage."

Kohli would not reveal what was said in the match referee's room when discussions were taking place on Friday evening to determine whether or not play would continue on Saturday, but he was always of the mind that the game should go ahead. 

On the series as a whole, the Indian skipper was extremely proud of his side and their ability to take all 60 wickets on offer across the three Tests.

"South Africa played better than us in the first two games, so they deserved to win," he said.

"But we deserved to win this game.

"They as a team know at many moments in the first two games as well, we put them under pressure. So, it’s not like we were rolled over. People really like to look at it that way.

"When we came to play this game, we saw banners of 'whitewash', '3-0' and what not. So, it feels really sweet to have made it 2-1. We believe if we had done well in the first two games, it could’ve gone either way as well.

"But the thing that has stood out in this game is that even after being 2-0 down, people can get really bogged down and lose hope or not show character, but this is something that is testimony to the belief we have in ourselves as a team and what the attitude we carry in every game we play." 

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