Home season done, Kohli seeks win abroad

Skipper may miss the start of the Indian Premier League season

India must not rest on their laurels after a highly successful home season and must focus on winning abroad, captain Virat Kohli said after their 2-1 series win over Australia yesterday.

The Indian team retained the ICC Test Championship mace and pocketed a $1 million (Dh3.67 million) cash award after cementing their top ranking with a seventh series victory in a row.

India’s eight-wicket win at Dharamsala marked the end of their 13-Test home season, which included 10 wins, two draws and a solitary loss to Australia.

When it was suggested that he could afford a bigger smile, Kohli said; “It’s a classic case of understanding that this is not the end of anything. No need to get overexcited with whatever we have done.

“We are very happy with No. 1 ranking in the world but our main challenge begins now. If we can conquer the overseas season, that’s when you will see a broader smile on my face when I sit down for the press conference.” Kohli believes he finally has the necessary fast bowling resources for the team to rectify their reputation as poor travellers, beginning with a tour of South Africa later this year.

“Few of the guys have told me that the kind of fast bowling bunch that we have now gives us a good chance to go outside India and put in good performances,” Kohli, who missed the final Test against Australia due to a shoulder injury, said. “I’m certainly very sure and positive about the fact that these guys can deliver away from home.

Fitness levels up

“The fitness levels have gone up and relentlessness of their bowling and the consistency have improved,” he added.

“I’m sure they will be able to sustain this for longer periods when we go overseas, and not let the game drift away. Pretty excited about what lies ahead for us as a team.” Often accused of not taking Test cricket seriously enough, India announced a bumper home season last year and its importance was not lost on Kohli. “It’s a very proud moment — playing good cricket all season, especially in the home season, and we dominated all of it,” Kohli said.

Kohli admitted, however, that he may miss the start of the lucrative Indian Premier League T20 tournament as he races against time to recover from his shoulder injury.

Kohli, the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, said: “It’s still a few weeks to go before I can be 100 per cent on the field.

The IPL starts on April 5.