Virat Kohli Backs His Bowlers, Believes They Have Proved They Don't Need Turning Pitches

India's Test skipper Virat Kohli is over the moon due to India's flawless display in dismantling a quality New Zealand side.

AP

The 27-year-old is all praises for the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who shared 41 wickets in the series.

"We knew before the series that people will start talking about pitches. We knew pitches will not be dry as monsoon is everywhere and especially in Kolkata, which is a newly-laid wicket. We knew our abilities and we knew we should be good enough to do well on any surface and against any team," Kohli told media persons at the post-match conference.

BCCI

He believes that a step has been taken in the right direction to prove that Indian bowlers don't need rank turners to do well.

"That's the right step we have taken. We believe in our skill and not believe in creating conditions or atmosphere which might suit us partially. We wanted to express ourselves. We finished two games in four days and that gives us a lot of confidence," said Kohli after the match. "We try to play positive cricket in the second innings and try to give the bowlers as much enough overs to bowl, and secondly enough runs to keep expressing themselves and not set defensive fields," Kohli said.

"This was a situation where we batted them out of the game. We could express ourselves best and give our bowlers time to bowl out the opposition. The last two Tests played out nicely for us and that's why we could finish both the games in four days," he added.

BCCI

Harbhajan Also Questioned Turning Tracks

Contrary to Kohli's argument India's most successful offspinner Harbhajan Singh too raised questions about the pitches of late. The Turbanator, someone who has 417 Test wickets, had tweeted that his figures would've been much better had he played cricket in the last four years in India.

Only 2 in my 103 tests.. Kumble and my test wicket count would have been something else if we got wickets like last 4 years we playing on?? https://t.co/fvkdVw1I1v

¡ª Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 9, 2016

Sabr kar 3 and half day Mai bada waqt hai abhi.pitch already spinning a lot #tailormadeconditionsforspinners don't think NZ can bat for long https://t.co/445hfffjph

¡ª Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 9, 2016

But Kohli, it seems, in just one stroke has answered back to all of the doubters.

Kolkata and Indore were not rank turners in the true sense of the term, but the spinners did excel. In the same way, the seamers were able to find life on dead pitches which left the Kiwis all at sea.

This is certainly a good sign for Indian cricket and it means our bowlers are no longer dependent on wickets which offer turn.