Virat Kohli: Didn't play for ranking, aim to be the best side in the world
After conceding their number one Test ranking to arch-rivals Pakistan, India’s Test skipper Virat Kohli did not seem too perturbed and wanted the season to be complete before jumping to comparisons with other teams.
Meeting reporters at the end of the Test series against West Indies which India won, the 27-year old reflected on the outcome and attributed the ‘selflessness’ within the squad as a step in the right direction.
Kohli quipped, “Well, we didn't play for ranking, it just happened. Had Pakistan not won, you know. Had we drawn the last game, then rankings are different again. So that is not something in our control. I wasn't too excited when we became No. 1 because I knew that it's pretty close. The other teams have played more games than us and we need to play as many games.”
He elaborated, “That’s what I feel to be able to compare after the whole season is done. That's why I said we'll be able to assess ourselves as a side when we finish the whole season, so it's fine. Rankings keep going up and down, you don't play for rankings. But you obviously want to be a very strong side in the world and that's always been our aim, to be the best side in the world.”
Going into the final Test at Port of Spain, India required a victory to retain their number one ranking. However, only 22 overs of play was possible in Port of Spain due to poor drainage facilities at the venue which meant that the visitors had to be content with a 2-0 series victory.
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One of the biggest decisions taken by the team management was to promote Ravichandran Ashwin to number six in order to gain more from their lower-order. The all-rounder responded with 235 runs at 58.75 while wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha scored his maiden Test ton.
Lauding the duo’s efforts, Kohli felt, “For me, the biggest positive is Saha getting runs in the lower order plus Ashwin coming good at No. 6. I hope we can keep on improving this aspect of our game because these are the positions which matter a lot in Test cricket. If you see, in teams which have done consistently well in Tests, their lower order has always contributed.”
Having become the first Indian skipper to win two Tests in a series in West Indies, he credited his bowling attack for sticking to their plans and backing each other right by taking responsibility.
The right-hander believed, “Bowlers are taking responsibility, they are not selfish. If one bowler needs to bowl in one area, he's doing that so that the other bowler can get wickets. I think this is very necessary for the people in the team to be selfless and it's the biggest quality of this team that if someone else is taking wickets, the other bowler will bowl in one area. Our team has developed this attitude and we will have to keep working on the same thing as we go forward if we are to become the strongest team in the world.”
India have an action-packed season coming up at home with as many as 13 Tests in the horizon and Kohli will be hoping to continue the momentum in their quest for reclaiming the number one ranking.