Despite impressive show in South Africa, where India won the one-day and T20I series, vibrant skipper Virat Kohli says his Test team need to be at 100 per cent for truly world-class status
The victorious Indian team after beating South Africa in the third T20I to win the series 2-1 at Cape Town on Saturday; Pics/AP, PTI, ICC media
Indian captain Virat Kohli refused to bask in his team's success in South Africa as he received the International Cricket Council Test championship mace for the second year running. Somewhat incongruously, the mace was presented to Kohli on Saturday at the end of a triumphant limited overs campaign. India won the ODI series 5-1 and Twenty20 series 2-1. Perhaps it was a reminder to Kohli that second-ranked South Africa had won a Test series at the start of the tour.
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India captain Virat Kohli with the ICC Test Championship mace after the visitors retained their No. 1 Test ranking. Pics/AP, PTI, ICC media
"I'd say we are still 80 percent," Kohli said of the Test team as he looked forward to major challenges in coming tours of England and Australia later this year. "When we are able to achieve what we want to in the two tours, we'll be more content. But our 80 percent is also exciting. To be a world-class side, you have to be 100 percent." Although the cut-off date for the ICC rankings only comes in April, India cannot be overtaken. Apart from the mace and the glory India will collect a million dollars in prize money.
Kohli will left South Africa yesterday having dazzled with his batting artistry and his no-holds-barred captaincy style. It is doubtful whether any visiting captain in modern times has made a greater impact than Kohli, who stated on arrival that his India team feared no opposition nor any conditions: "We look at the pitch and adapt to conditions.
Every game is a home game. It's as simple as that." His early press conference set the tone for the tour. Articulate, occasionally combative with journalists who challenged, for instance, his selection policies, Kohli stayed true to his mantra of playing positive cricket and not taking a backward step. He did not complain about the seam-friendly Test pitches prepared for SA's fast bowlers, though ICC match referee Chris Broad rated the pitches for the first two Tests "average" and his successor Andy Pycroft condemned the pitch used for the third Test at the Wanderers as "poor". Though India lost the first two Tests, they were competitive in both despite the tough conditions and won the third. Then, they outclassed South Africa in the white ball games.
286 Total runs Kohli scored in three Tests
558 Total runs Kohli scored in six ODIs
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