This year was talked about as being a litmus test for Virat Kohli's captaincy with three important overseas tours for Team India in the season. While Kohli & Co showed great determination to win the final Test under trying conditions at Johannesburg to end the Test series in South Africa 1-2 earlier this year, they lost the five-Test series in England 1-4, albeit in a highly competitive atmosphere.

It was the batting that let India down in both these series. Kohli and the team management also suffered for not getting their combination right. Yesterday, Kohli insisted that the intention was always to play the best XI. "The motive has always been to put the best XI on the park and we have hardly tinkered with the batting order apart from a couple of guys not being in form here and there," said Kohli on the eve of the first Test against West Indies at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium here.