New Zealand vs India 2020: Virat Kohli insists accepting defeat defines the character of his team

India suffered their first loss in the ICC World Test Championship after New Zealand beat them by 10 wickets in the first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

The Indian batsmen, who were outclassed by the Kiwi bowlers, had no answer to the hosts' immaculate bowling.

But Indian skipper Virat Kohli showed his sportsman spirit by accepting the defeat gracefully.

That's that from the Basin Reserve as New Zealand win the 1st Test by 10 wickets and register their 100th Test win.Scorecard - https://t.co/Jo6w0HOybN #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/N9nxwVH0no

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 24, 2020

He believes that it is important to accept defeats and learn from the mistakes so that India would try and not repeat those in the second Test.

Kohli was quoted as saying in the post-match press conference,

“There’s no cakewalk or easy games at the international level. Teams will come out and beat you, you have to accept it and that defines your character as a side.”

The Indian batsmen went into a shell and were not able to put the bad balls away, thus allowing the New Zealand bowlers to bowl in the right areas without feeling any pressure.

Kohli believes that this is something India need to change as he wants his team to play counter-attacking cricket.

He also feels that having a positive frame of mind will be the key for India to try and win the second Test. Kohli concluded by saying,

“Whatever it requires us to do as a batting unit, a bowling unit and a fielding unit to be able to do that, we are definitely going to come out and do that. We are not bothered about another loss but we are not going to take a backward step, that’s for sure.”

The second and final Test of the series will start on the 29th of February at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.