3rd T20I: Kohli lauds bowlers for victory over Australia

Sydney, Nov 25 - After India defeated Australia by six wickets in the third and the final Twenty20 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to level the rubber 1-1, skipper Virat Kohli felt his bowlers did a commendable job on a tough wicket.

Kohli, who struck a brilliant half-century to ensure India overhaul the 165-run target in time, also lauded openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan's effort.

Significantly, Rohit (23 off 16 balls) and Dhawan (41 off 22 balls) were involved in a 67-run partnership to provide the India a solid start.

"Things become pretty easy when those two (Shikhar and Rohit) guys do the job for us. We thought the wicket slowed down with the old ball. That's how T20 cricket goes," the Indian skipper said after the match.

"When our openers get into the zone they're difficult to stop," Kohli, who played a crucial 41-ball 61-run knock on Sunday, expressed adding: "Overall, skill wise, we were better on the day than Australia."

The 30-year-old also praised his bowlers for restricting the hosts to an achievable total.

"With the ball, we were more professional today. I thought it was a 180 wicket," Kohli pointed out.

Meanwhile, an elated Krunal Pandya, who returned with his career best figures of 4/36 after being hammered for 55 runs in first game at Brisbane, said: "Obviously it feels really great to contribute in a winning side. I had to back myself after that first game. It feels good to overcome those type of hurdles."

"The best part of team India is they back all of the players whether you are doing well or poorly," Krunal, who was also adjudged Man of the Match, added.

IANS