Kohli proud of Team India’s unselfish attitude

India finish the year as top-ranked Test team

India have ended 2016 as the top-ranked Test team on the ICC rankings after registering a 4-0 victory over England in the five-match series.  The series win has helped India gain five points. They have now moved to 120 points in the Test team rankings, 15 points ahead of second-placed Australia. In contrast, England, who had started the series tied with Australia on 105 points, have slipped from the second to the fifth position.

Indian Test Captian Virat Kohli has said that he could not have asked for anything more than an emphatic victory over England in the final Test after the series had already been clinched in Mumbai.

India demolished England by an innings and 75 runs in Chennai to register a historic 4-0 triumph over England. This must be sweet revenge for India, who had lost their last three successive series to England in 2011, 2012 and 2014. England had piled up a mammoth 477 in the first innings in Chennai before India responded with 759/7 declared thanks to a triple hundred from Karun Nair and 199 from Lokesh Rahul. On a final-day pitch that had little in it for the spinners, Ravinder Jadeja then weaved his magic to pick up career-best figures of 7/48 as England were dismissed for 207 with little under 10 overs remaining in the day.

“Couldn’t have asked anything more and especially after winning the series 3-0 and performing like this. It’s an evidence of the character of this side and what the guys prepare like for a Test match, playing for the country,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “They take a lot of pride and it was evident in the way we batted and bowled. We wanted the youngsters to do well. KL Rahul had a good domestic season but didn’t have a great outing and then came back and almost got a double century. Karun didn’t have two good Tests and then does this (an unbeaten 303).”

Kohli hailed his team for pulling off a spectacular victory despite being on the backfoot, having first lost the toss and then conceding a huge firsts innings total. But like they did throughout the series, India stuck to their guns and eventually trumped over England with their relentlessness.  Kohli, who became the first Indian captain to win nine Tests in a year, said he was aware of the psychological damage it would to England after India had taken a 282-run lead.

“It’s always tricky when you have scored 477 and then concede a lead of 282. Mentally and psychologically, it is always a dent. We knew that.We realized that once we got a couple of wickets, it will be a downward slide. They don’t want to be ina position after getting so many runs and be in a losing position. Jadeja did the job in both the innings. Hit right areas and made it uncomfortable for the batsmen. Intensity was top class,” Kohli said.

Kohli stressed he was proud of his team for having taken the toss out of the equation. India had lost four tosses in the five Tests of the series and had to bounce back after conceding 400 plus totals in the last two matches. The young captain was also proud of the way his players put the team before personal glory.

“Very proud. Toss and pitches were out of the equation. We were up against big totals and we won by an innings. Doesn’t happen too often in Tests. We work hard everyday and believe in us. We don’t care about what’s happening outside; what matters is what each one of us thinks about the other. There’s lot of respect and friendship in that dressing room and it’s evident on the field. Nobody is playing for himself. Every time we were put under the pump, we have tightened up on giving away wickets at crucial time, especially after intervals. We have improved on that.

“The lower order has deflated the opposition, scoring 200+ three times, and their hard work in the nets showed. Our pace was quicker than theirs, even the consistency was better, and it was very proud moment for me as an Indian captain, seeing the fast bowlers stepping it on. Kudos to the hard work they have put in in the past few months.”