Kohli and company rewarded with cash bonus

NEW DELHI: India awarded cash bonuses of up to $85,000 for Virat Kohli and his players who secured a historic first Test series triumph in Australia.

India clinched the four-match series 2-1 in Sydney on Monday, sparking national celebrations.

The BCCI congratulated the team and announced a bonus of $21,400 per match for each player while the reserves will get $10,700 per match.

That means that Kohli and others who took part in all four Tests will get more than $85,000, doubling their match fees.

Coach Ravi Shastri and his assistants will get $35,650 each.

Meanwhile, Kohli and his team adorned the front pages of the leading local newspapers as India celebrated the end of a 71-year wait for a first Test series victory in Australia.

The Times of India saluted the “Wizards of Oz” on its front page and said on its sports page: “Fittingly, the historic moment came in Sydney where Virat Kohli took over as Indian skipper three years ago.” Writing in the newspaper, VVS Laxman, who also enjoyed a great deal of success against Australia in his playing days, said man-of-the-series Cheteshwar Pujara was the difference between the two sides.

“In Pujara’s ability to make a good thing count and tire out the opposition bowling is a massive lesson for youngsters,” he wrote.

In the Hindustan Times, former Australia captain Ian Chappell predicted India would “apply a stranglehold to the number one ranking”.

While celebrating the “Sweet Taste of History”, the daily also pointed out that India had yet to win a test series in South Africa and said it was “the next frontier”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)