Virat Kohli celebrating the runout of Shamarh Brooks. (Source: AP Photo)Virat Kohli led India to their first series win in the ICC Test Championship after beating the West Indies on Tuesday. India outclassed their opponents, beating them by a mammoth margin of 257 runs.
With this win Kohli also registered 28 Test wins as a captain of India – the most by an Indian captain, eclipsing MS Dhoni’s 27 Test wins.
However, the Indian skipper was unwilling to take the entire credit upon himself and applauded his boys for their clinincal performance.
“Pretty comprehensive again. Played really good cricket over four days. Getting result in the manner that you want is crucial. Were in some tricky situations. Took a lot of character from the boys collectively,” he said.
“It’s a by-product of the quality team we have here (becoming the most successful Indian captain). If we didn’t have the bowlers we have, these results wouldn’t have been possible.”
If you see these guys running in – Shami’s spell today, Bumrah after having a small niggle, Ishant bowling his heart out, Jadeja bowling a long spell.”
“Captaincy is just a C in front of your name. It’s the collective effort that matters. For us, it’s just the start of the Championship. Whatever’s happened in the past is irrelevant. Look forward to keep continuing playing good cricket.”
Reserving special praise for middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari, Kohli said, ” Hanuma was the standout batsman in this game. Contributions all around. Was a game full of grit and determination. According to the surface it was a top class innings (Vihari).”
“He’s someone who is sure of his game and it shows. Dressing room feels calm when he’s batting. That’s a quality he possesses naturally. He’s willing to improve. Accepts and corrects his mistakes. Plays with a lot of heart. It’s a very young career so far but he’s shown why he’s been backed and selected in this team.”
Reflecting on the performance of the home team, the Indian captain said, “West Indies would know the areas they need to improve on. From bowling point of view, they were outstanding. Jason and Kemar were the standout bowlers for them.”
“Their bowling attack with the red ball here is as lethal as anyone. If they get enough runs on the board, they’ll be a very dangerous opposition in Test cricket,” he concluded.
