India captain Virat Kohli today said that Murali Vijay's dismissal proved to be the turning point in their 48-run defeat against Australia in the first cricket Test, in Adelaide on Saturday.
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“If me and Vijay added about 40 runs there, the game would have been different. You see one opening and the team capitalises, and that's what Australia did."
Kohli said that in hindsight his shot selection for the delivery that he got out could have been different.
"I was trying to hit it much more in front of square. But it was one of those mistakes I'll reflect back and say may be I could have done better and played a different shot. It was a great spell by Nathan Lyon and he bowled in right areas," the stand-in skipper, who scored 115 and 141 in the match, said.
Kohli said that he had backed to win the Test match and doesn't have any regrets.
"I told the guys last evening that whatever be the target, we will chase it. You have to play with passion and commitment if you have been chosen to play for your country," said the skipper.
Kohli showed humility and congratulated the Australian team for playing the Test match in the backdrop of the emotional turmoil that they have gone through post death of Phillip Hughes.
"I would like to congratulate the whole Australia team. Actually participating here after all that happened in the last 10 days is commendable. They are also a team that plays with passion and commitment," said Kohli.
Kohli was all praise for his boys and the "character" that they showed.
"It was a great game of cricket, proud of the boys, the kind of character they showed in tough situations it was a really good effort. Pretty pleased with the way we played, but Australia did better than us," said Kohli.
In a post-match television interview with former skipper Rahul Dravid, Kohli revealed that he never thought of putting down shutters even after Rohit Sharma got out.
"I am a pretty one-dimensional person. I don't believe that there is any point playing for a draw. Even when Vijay and Jinks (Rahane) got out, I was still backing myself for a win with Saha around. When Karn came in, I just told him to give me as much strike as possible."
Talking about his own batting, Kohli told Dravid that he hasn't played the sweep shot so much in his life.
"I actually was practising the lap shot at the nets but not the sweep. I don't remember having swept so much in a match."
On a different aspect of his batting, he was asked about how he had prepared to play Lyon, Kohli said, "I was trying to roll my bat and hit him at least 20 degrees from where I was planning to hit. Yes, cover drive is my favourite shot but I was prepared to wait."
Kohli joked about him playing mediator when an altercation ensued between Davis Warner and Shikhar Dhawan on Day 4 of the Test, "You can understand that if I am playing the peacemaker then what was going on out there."
The pressure of captaincy has also given the 27-year-old Kohli “12 grey hair over the last five days” and he also revealed that he “hasn't had too much of sleep."
