NEW DELHI: New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy had a rather amusing assessment of Virat Kohli after the India batting great once again proved to be the difference between the two sides in the first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday. Kohli smashed a fluent 74 off just 51 balls to guide India to a five-wicket victory in a rain-affected contest, leaving Duffy impressed and, by his own admission, a little frustrated.Asked about Kohli’s batting, Duffy did not hold back, responding with a smile: “He was annoying (laughs). Not many holes in his game… small ground, uses the pace very well.”The New Zealand pacer acknowledged the challenge of bowling to the former India captain, whose ability to exploit the dimensions of Eden Park and use the pace of the deliveries made life difficult for the hosts.Kohli’s innings featured 13 fours and a six as India chased down a revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs in a match reduced to 32 overs per side following rain interruptions.ALSO READ: Sachin Tendulkar’s record gone! Virat Kohli creates history during India’s New Zealand chase
‘180 at Eden Park was never going to be enough’
Reflecting on New Zealand’s batting performance, Duffy admitted that the hosts had fallen short of a competitive total after being bowled out for 180.“180 at Eden Park was never going to be enough. They bowled pretty well. We showed our intent for the series that we won’t back down,” he said.Duffy also credited the Indian bowling attack for making life difficult for the New Zealand batters.“India bowled well, extracted the bounce very well. We are a good batting team,” he said.Despite the defeat, the pacer insisted that New Zealand would continue to play with an aggressive approach throughout the series.
Duffy impressed by India’s players and fans
Duffy also spoke about his admiration for Indian players, highlighting their patience and appreciation of the support they receive from fans.“A lot of Indian players are patient, appreciate their fans. I look up to them… impressive to watch,” he said.The New Zealand pacer also touched upon the decision not to use captain Mitchell Santner as a bowling option, pointing to the conditions at Eden Park.“Eden Park bounce extracts the wicket,” Duffy said.Meanwhile, Kohli’s match-winning contribution was accompanied by several significant milestones. He surpassed Sachin Tendulkar‘s record for the most ODI runs in run chases, taking his tally to 8,741, against Tendulkar’s 8,720.The 37-year-old also became the first batter to score 13,000 ODI runs at No. 3 and equalled Ricky Ponting’s record of 1,971 ODI runs against New Zealand.India will look to carry the momentum into the second ODI as Kohli’s record-breaking performance gives the visitors an early advantage in the series.
