The Indian Test Cricket team has started strongly under the leadership of Virat Kohli winning three consecutive test series against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and West Indies since his appointment.
The 27-year-old right-handed batsman has led India from the front and scored a double century against West Indies in the recently concluded Test Series. With Anil Kumble's appointment as the national team coach, team India would hope to reach the zenith.
The Indian Test team achieved the number 1 rank in Tests in August only to lose it to arch-rivals Pakistan and has accomplished many feats in the recent past. However, there are many records still to be set in the coming future.
Here, we list out the 5 records that the Indian Test team can break under Virat Kohli in the upcoming scheduled fixtures.
#5 Whitewashing Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in a Test series
Team India is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka in July-September 2017 and one of the achievements which has remained elusive is whitewashing the home team.
While the Men in Blue have won only two Test Series in Sri Lanka, once in 1993, when India won the 3-match series 1-0, and again in 2015, when India came out as winners in the heavily contested 3-match series 2-1.
The Lankans have emerged champions thrice while two test series has been drawn. Neither of the two teams have managed to whitewash the other team even once.
Given Sri Lanka's contrasting form under Angelo Mathews, the onus is on Virat Kohli and his men to establish complete dominance over the island-nation.
India have enough firepower in their lineup to take on the Sri Lankan challenge but it remains to be seen if they can whitewash the Sri Lankan's in the near future.
#4 Winning a Test series in South Africa
South Africa has always been a country where Team India have struggled. The reason behind this being the bouncy conditions in the South African wickets. The batsmen have, most of the time, failed to cope with the movement of the ball and the pace and bounce of the wicket.
The first Test series defeat that India suffered against the Proteas was in 1992 as India lost the 4-match series 1-0. They again lost a three-match series 2-0 in 1996 when they toured under Mohammed Azharuddin.
The Sourav Ganguly-led side could not break the jinx when they visited the rainbow nation in 2001-02 and lost the two-match series 1-0. In 2006, Rahul Dravid and his boys showed promise winning the first ever Test match in South Africa but eventually lost the series 2-1.
MS Dhoni and his side managed to draw a 2-match Test series in 2010, but they have still not managed to win a Test series in the African country.
Virat Kohli and his squad have a tough challenge to overcome the South Africans when they embark on the scheduled tour of the country in late 2017-early 2018.
#3 Winning a Test series in Australia
The Indian team has always found it difficult to get going in Australia, much like in South Africa. The conditions Down Under and the Australian crowd with the jeering and cheering, have made things tough for any touring party.
However, team India. has more often than not. put up a decent fight against the Aussies. In Adelaide in 2003 and in Perth in 2008, the Men in Blue had two memorable test wins.
But a Test series win in Australia is still elusive and a feat that's not yet been achieved. In 11 tours Down Under, India have lost 8, which is not something to be proud of, and have managed to draw the other three times.
Over the years, they have not found success and this is one issue which will be in Virat Kohli's mind.
During 1967-68 team India lost the 4-match series 4-0 when the toured Australia. In 1977, the team went down 3-2 in the 5-match series and a 4-0 whitewash in 1991-92.
The disheartening story continued in 1999-00 when the team lost 3-0. The team drew the 4-match series in 2003 1-1 but then went down fighting 2-1 in the following series in 2007-08. The disastrous run continued as they endured a 4-0 whitewash in the 2011-12 series, and in the last tour in 2014-15, a much improved Indian team lost 2-0 in the 4-match series.
The Indian test team captain has had his share of controversies in Australia. While he has some world class performances, his attitude and arrogance have been questioned by the Australian media.
Kohli would like to settle the scores on the field when India are scheduled to face the Aussies in November 2018- January 2019.
#2 Whitewashing Pakistan in a Test Series
The Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to tour India at the start of 2018. India has not played against their arch-rivals since 2007-08, when they hosted the neighbouring country.
This is one age-old rivalry that boils the blood of every cricket lover residing in the two countries. Few rivalries have been as fierce and as competitive as this one, and India have emerged champions in 4 test series and Pakistan have become champions in 5 Test series.
The two sides have drawn 7 Test series between the two sides.
However, India have never managed to dominate a Test series and make a clean sweep. Pakistan have had victories by big margins when they won 2-0 in the 3-match Test series in Pakistan in 1978-79, and again in 1982-83, when they defeated the visiting Indian side 3-0 in the 6-match Test series.
India won 2-0 in a 6-match Test series in India in 1979-80.
While every Indo-Pak match has been highly contested, India should look to overhaul the Pakistanis when they are scheduled to visit in 2018. This is one frontier which has not yet been breached and the young team led by Virat Kohli will be keen to improve on the past performances.
#1 Winning the inaugural Test Championship
The ICC World Test Championships were scheduled to be held for the first time in England in 2013 but it was upheld due to financial problems.
The play-offs of the premier Test Championship were postponed to June 2017, where the top four ranked teams as on 31 December, 2016 will fight it out for the trophy. There would be two semi-finals and the winners will compete in the finals.
It would be a huge achievement if Virat Kohli and his young side would win the first ever ICC World Test Championship winner. India has won 5 ICC trophies, all of them in the limited formats of the game.
Virat Kohli, a born leader, who has already tasted success when he led the U-19 cricket team to ICC World Cup Trophy in 2008, has surely set his sights on the big one.
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