Ind vs Aus: Lead of few more runs would have been a "boosting factor", says Kohli

Adelaide [Australia], December 19 (ANI): India skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday said that a lead of a few more runs in the first innings in the pink-ball Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval would have handed his side a boost.
Kohli's remark came as India stumbled to an eight-wicket loss in the first Test of the four-match series. On the third day of the first Test, India was bundled out for 36 in the second innings and Australia was given a mediocre target of 90 runs to go 1-0 ahead. Australia chased down the total comfortably inside 21 overs with eight wickets in hand.
On the second day, Australia was left reeling at 110-7 when the final three wickets managed to add 80 more runs and skipper Tim Paine played an unbeaten knock of 73 runs to help take the hosts closer to India's first innings total. Skipper Kohli also said that a few more runs' lead would have probably put the hosts under more pressure.
"Yeah, very crucial. Australia was seven down for 110 (111) if I am not wrong when Tim Paine offered a chance and then he got 70 odd from there. Even Marnus Labuschagne was dropped a couple of times. In Test cricket, you need to take your chances when they come your way. They can be very costly and we realised very harshly today what the repercussions of not taking your chances can be.
"Teams will not offer you chances, again and again, you need to grab every opportunity that comes your way. That would have been a boosting factor for us if we had a lead of few more runs, a lead of above 100 and decent batting can make the opposition panic," said Kohli while replying to an ANI query during the post-match press conference.
On the second day, India's fielding also left a lot to be desired as the side dropped the chances of Paine and Labuschagne.
The Kohli-led side might have had a 62-run lead entering the third day of the first Test, but the side squandered the advantage as the batsmen failed to rise to the occasion and Australia made light work of the visitors. While Josh Hazelwood scalped five wickets, Pat Cummins took four. This score of 36 is India's lowest-ever score in Test cricket. Before this, India's lowest score was 42 in Test cricket against England in 1974.
"It is a strange one, the ball did not do much, we did not have enough intent of taking the game forward, yeah everything just happened so quickly that nobody could make any sense of it. It was disappointing for everyone. We have played enough cricket to understand what needs to be done at different stages, it is just lack of execution, day three is called the moving day, it was about driving home the advantage, we should have put in a better batting performance," said Kohli.
"Australia bowled similar lengths in the first innings as well, we were just better in handling it better then. A bit of lead can always be tricky, as a batting unit, you can go into a headspace where you think we are just 50-60 ahead and we do not want to lose wickets. You always have to be positive, we lacked intent in the second innings. The way we batted allowed Australia to look more potent than they probably were. We batted way better in the first innings," he added.
Kohli will now return home after being granted paternity leave from the BCCI. India and Australia will lock horns in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, beginning December 26. (ANI)