England registered a comprehensive 8-wicket win against India in the series decider match of the three-match series at Headingley and also sealed the series 2-1. India was outplayed in all three departments, and with less than a year to go for the World Cup, skipper Virat Kohli said that the team needs to get the balance before the big tournament.

During the post-match presentation, Virat said, “We need to have a good balance in the side, and we need to get our act right before the World Cup. We can’t rely on one skill, and we need to do well in all departments. We were never up to the mark as far as runs were concerned. We had 25-30 runs too little. England was clinical in all departments and thoroughly deserved to win. We need to be at our best against a team like England. Against the new ball, it was two-paced but slow with the spinners. Haven’t seen pitches like that here before. The bowlers did well, especially their spinners who didn’t get greedy and contained the runs before getting wickets eventually.”

The English leggie Adil Rashid rattled Kohli, pegging back his off-stump and the Indian skipper praised the leg-spinner for his performance.

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Kohli said, “I’ve been playing against Rashid since U-19 and it was a terrific ball, so it’s just one of those balls that you have to take in your stride and say “Wow”. I’m surprised that his turn has reduced over the years, but this one was an amazing ball.”

India decided to make as many as three changes for the decider, a decision which backfired eventually but Kohli defended the move, saying it looked bad because of the result.

England captain Eoin Morgan praised his team, calling it an ‘outstanding’ performance from the team. He said, “The tone was set by the bowlers. We took our opportunities well whenever we got the chance. I didn’t think it would be a belter, probably a 300-320 ground, but our spinners today were brilliant. The chase was started by the two openers, and then Joe and I carried on. It’s the guys on my right, my team, that makes my decision look good. You’re only as good as your team. Our guys were brilliant.”

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Joe Root earned the man-of-the-series award for his back-to-back centuries, he said, “It’s about putting faith in your game and backing your ability, so I’m happy I have done well in the last two games and I’ll take the confidence into the Tests. We’ve done well here over the last few years. The pressure of this being a must-win game was important and I am happy I contributed.”