LONDON: Virat Kohli is confident that India can compete in challenging conditions in Australia despite a crushing 4-1 defeat to England that compounded a disappointing away record in Tests.
England wrapped up victory at the Oval on Tuesday, winning the final match of the series against the number one side in the world by 118 runs late on the fifth day.
But despite the comprehensive nature of the series defeat, Kohli took positives from the tour as he looked forward to Australia, where India have never won a Test series.
“What matters to me is the kind of attitude you play cricket with,” the Indian captain said. “We said at the end of the fourth game that we won’t throw in the towel and we didn’t.
“This kind of series shows you exactly the kind of character of individuals and I see that as an opportunity and not adversity because if you keep winning all the time a lot of faults are swept under the carpet, you don’t realize the faults you need to work on.”
Kohli, who was top-scorer in the series with 593 runs, said India had created pressure at various times in England but had not capitalized on key moments.
“We were not able to hold that pressure for long enough with the bat and the ball as well, so at crucial stages we could not keep that pressure on for long, and that is why they took advantage of those situations better than us,” he said.
For all India are the world’s top-ranked side, they have now won just one of their past nine series outside Asia.
But a number of factors are in India’s favor for their Australia tour.
They boast arguably their finest-ever pace attack and will face a team still without the banned Steve Smith and David Warner and with fitness doubts over their attack.
When asked if he was confident about the four-match Test series, which starts in December, Kohli talked of the strides the team has made.
“The progress has been there... we need to recognize when the situation is in our favor and how to solidify that situation even further, and make sure that the opposition cannot get back in to the game,” he said.
“More often than not (against England), we have given the advantage to the opposition rather than them brilliantly turning around a situation.”
And Kohli spoke about the need to compete from the first ball of the series.
“We can’t warm up in to a series because the first Test is always crucial, and we need to make sure we are in the right frame of mind to be able to do all the things right to strike first,” he said.
Virat Kohli confident India can win in Australia despite defeat in England
Virat Kohli confident India can win in Australia despite defeat in England
- India skipper praise team's character during the series defeat in England.
- Kohli and Co. set to face Australia Down Under, where they have never won, later this year.
Patrick Reed keeps his cool to win Dubai Desert Classic by 4 shots
- Andy Sullivan fought back from a shaky front nine to hit a one-under 71 and finish second at 10 under
DUBAI: Patrick Reed was presented with the Dallah Trophy by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group, in front of a big crowd at Emirates Golf Club as the American claimed the fourth DP World Tour title of his career with a composed four-shot victory at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The 35-year-old stayed patient on a testing front nine as he carded eight pars and one dropped shot to reach the turn with his overnight advantage cut in half to two shots.
David Puig completed a hat-trick of birdies from the eighth to briefly sit one back before Reed signed for his first birdie at the 10th.
But when Reed birdied the 13th and Puig dropped a shot on the same hole, the World No. 44 regained his four-shot lead with five holes to play, and he never looked back.
Reed parred his way home for a 14-under-par total to become the sixth American winner of the Dallah trophy with his first Rolex Series event success at Emirates Golf Club.
“It hasn’t fully set in yet. Today was a lot harder than expected; I knew it was going to be,” Reed said.
“I just couldn’t get anything going on the front nine. I think I learned a lot about the round today.
“Instead of keeping my foot on the gas early, I tried to protect that four-shot lead, and then David goes and birdied eight and nine, and shut it down to two.
“Kess (Kessler Karain, caddie) was like, ‘It’s a dogfight. Now let’s get going and shoot under par on the back nine and no one will beat you.’ We were able to get that birdie there on 13 to get to one under and he (Puig) gave me a gift there by bogeying. From there on, it was hit fairways, hit greens and make no mistakes.”
The first movement came at the par-three fourth when Puig salvaged a bogey from a plugged lie. Reed safely found the green with his tee-shot, but the American three-putted as he missed the chance to extend his four-shot lead.
Reed could not improve on 13 under as he continued his par streak, but Puig made his move as the final group reached the turn.
He picked up his first birdie of the day at the eighth, and when he dialed in his approach to six feet for birdie at the ninth, he was two behind at 11 under.
Reed held his nerve to find the par-five 10th green in two, but he had to watch Puig card his third straight birdie at the same hole.
His lead was cut to one, but only briefly, as the American found the cup with a short birdie putt to return to 14 under.
Both men failed to find the green at the par-three 11th, with Reed missing his par putt from 5 feet. Puig had 4 feet to trim the leader’s advantage to one, only to miss his par effort.
The momentum swung back in the American’s favor with a birdie at the 13th, and when his Spanish playing partner, who produced a remarkable par save at the 12th, bogeyed the same hole, Reed was four ahead at 14 under.
Puig’s chance of victory proved even slimmer when he bogeyed the 15th as the leader opened up a five-shot advantage with three to play.
Reed had looks to increase his lead as he finished with five straight pars for his first DP World Tour crown since the 2020 WGC-Mexico Championship.
Andy Sullivan fought back from a shaky front nine as he finished birdie-birdie in his one-under 71 to sit in solo second at 10 under.
Frenchman Julien Guerrier carded an eagle, two birdies and a bogey for his best finish at a Rolex Series event in third at nine under.
Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, Francesco Molinari and Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World leader Jayden Schaper were one shot further back, while Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia, Englishman Marcus Armitage and Puig, who was given a two-shot penalty for grounding a club in the bunker at the last, finished at seven under.
South African amateur Christiaan Maas was presented with the Emirates Golf Federation’s Leading Amateur award.
