What’s the story?
Virat Kohli is not someone who brags about the success he and his team have achieved in the last two years. In a press conference today, he continued that trend as he played down comments that the current Indian Test team are ‘Invincibles’.
“We want to focus on our processes and playing good cricket. No team is invincible. Cricket has always been opportunities for both sides at different stages of the game. Test matches more so because one session can change the game. We will be able to win games because of the persistence of bowlers, application of the batsmen and our aim is to be exactly like we were in the previous series,” Kohli stated.
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After defeating England in the fifth Test in December last year, Kohli extended his unbeaten captaincy run to 18. He is now tied with the ‘Little Master’ Sunil Gavaskar, who had led the Indian team to a similar feat between 1978 and 1981.
If Kohli manages a mere draw in the game against Bangladesh starting tomorrow, he will possess the longest unbeaten streak as a captain in Tests matches for India.
The heart of the matter
The 28-year-old is someone who thrives under the additional responsibility of captaincy. His team is now enjoying an unbeaten run that has extended to their last 18 Test matches. Their last defeat came against Sri Lanka away from home in August 2015. He has captained India in 22 Test matches and has been immensely successful, with a win percentage of 63.64%.
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Under Kohli, a lot of youngsters have emerged from the shadows and have produced outstanding performances at the highest level. The list includes KL Rahul, who has a century in all formats of the game and four in Test matches alone. Karun Nair too played a remarkable knock in Chennai, becoming only the second Indian to score a triple century after Virender Sehwag.
In spite of so much success, though, Kohli refused to get carried away. He credited the players’ contributions to the team’s run and reserved special praise for the bowlers, who have been very influential in turning potential draws into victories.
Parallels from the history
India will take on Bangladesh in a lone Test match starting tomorrow. If Kohli’s team avoids defeat, it will surpass the record held by Sunil Gavaskar for the longest unbeaten run by an Indian side(18 matches) which traces back to 1987.
The longest unbeaten run in the history of Test cricket is held by the West Indies. Clive Lloyd was the captain of the side and the run stretches to 27 Test matches.
Sportskeeda’s take
The Indian team will look to carry forward the momentum they currently possess. They will assert their superiority over the visitors – Bangladesh and then Australia – and successfully extend the run to 23 in the next five Test matches.
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