India vs West Indies: Virat Kohli on the cusp of joining elite list

Virat Kohli, who was rested for the Asia Cup, is back and will lead the Indian side for the Test series against West Indies. This series will be closely watched by the selectors and the management as a number of fresh faces have been included and it could be an audition for the Australis tour.

However, for Kohli, it will be business as usual and after the successful tour of England, this is another chance for him to drive home his number 1 Test match tag.

Kohli now needs 79 runs more to complete 3,000 Test runs at home. He will become the 11th Indian batsman to do so. Having said this, the Indian captain has not had an entirely fruitful time against West Indies and averages 38.61 — which is the worst for him as compared to the other Test-playing opposition.

Barring Virat Kohli, the Indian batting struggled in England and numbers vindicate the point. With close to 4,000 runs by Indian batsmen from 9 Tests this year, Indian batting line-up averages only 23.50. Only Ireland, Bangladesh and Afghanistan average worse.

The first Test between India and the Windies will begin on October 4 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot. The second Test against the Windies will start on October 12 and will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.

The 5-match ODI series will begin from October 21 and will continue till November 1. The 3 T20Is will be played on November 4, November 6 and November 11.

First Published: Oct 01, 2018 10:16 IST