After a cruise of a start to their Test Championship campaign, India takes a break from the longest format.
KOLKATA: Seven Test wins in a row, 12th successive home series win, runaway leaders in the World Test Championship table – there were reasons for Virat Kohli to sound boastful after the decimation of Bangladesh in the day-night Test. Captains are usually excused even if they go a bit over the top on such occasions. And the India captain is known to be a man of positive vibes anyway.
But hold on. When questions came flying about the team’s domination, Kohli seemed grounded while answering them. Possibly aware that the wins of the last few months came against teams that have been struggling, or that there is time to go before the Test Championship finalists are identified, he laughed it off when asked if he sees this team on a par with the all-conquering West Indies or Australia sides of the past.
“Seven wins? I’d think we are close to those teams if we keep winning like this for seven years. The West Indies teams you are referring to did it for 15-odd years. We have won just seven Tests. It’s a good feeling that we are leading the Championship table. As far-reaching the heights of those teams is concerned, we have a long way to go. As of now, the nice feeling is we can win anywhere. Beyond that, it’s better to focus on the next series,” Kohli said at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
He also had a suggestion regarding the format of the World Test Championship, saying that currently, the number of points garnered isn’t a true reflection of the strengths of a team.
India have 360 points for winning all the Tests in the three series they have played. Australia are second on 116. “It’s a subjective thing to say who’s dominating. To me, a fair of way judging it is playing home and away. At the moment, we have played more at home than away.”
At the same time, it is difficult to overlook the level of intensity of this team. True that the opposition didn’t put up much of a fight, Kohli’s players still had to get the job done. And instead of merely doing it, they have been doing it with a kind of ruthlessness. This is most evident in the performance of the bowlers. It appears from a distance as if they are competing among themselves when the other team is unable to put up resistance.
“That’s where the captain and team management come into the picture. We have to make sure that we keep the hunger going. There may have been a moment when things slackened a bit. Our job is to set that right and make that the mindset on a long-term basis. Look at our bowlers. They know that many are waiting outside, while only two or three can play. That keeps them going. They realise only after a Test how tired they are, not during the Test,” said the captain with 33 Test wins.
After a cruise of a start to their Test Championship campaign, the team takes a break from the longest format. A sterner test awaits them after that, in New Zealand in February-March.
