We did not play for the ranking: Virat Kohli

Although India won the series 2-0, they narrowly missed out on the world number one ranking in Test matches to their arch rivals Pakistan. However, Virat Kohli, the skipper of the Indian side rubbished rumors of disappointment when he said that the result was a positive one and that he was proud of the way the team played. The 27-year old also went on to add that being the best team in the world was far more important than just a piece of paper and a mace that states that they are indeed the best in the world.

The Indians had a disappointing end to their Test series when the final Test match of the series was unfortunately washed out with just one session on the first day being played. However, the fact of the matter was that, despite the massive sunshine, it was clear that the poor drainage systems in place did little to dry the water from the stadium. The groundsmen, as well as the WICB-employed curators, have come under severe amounts of flak for the same.

Kohli quipped, “Well, we didn’t play for ranking, it just happened. Had Pakistan not won, you know. Had we drawn the last game, then rankings are different again. So that is not something in our control. I wasn’t too excited when we became No. 1 because I knew that it’s pretty close. The other teams have played more games than us and we need to play as many games.”

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He elaborated, “That’s what I feel to be able to compare after the whole season is done. That’s why I said we’ll be able to assess ourselves as a side when we finish the whole season, so it’s fine. Rankings keep going up and down, you don’t play for rankings. But you obviously want to be a very strong side in the world and that’s always been our aim, to be the best side in the world.”

For Virat Kohli, two players who made the difference in the series were Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha. Lauding the duo’s efforts, Kohli felt, “For me, the biggest positive is Saha getting runs in the lower order plus Ashwin coming good at No. 6. I hope we can keep on improving this aspect of our game because these are the positions which matter a lot in Test cricket. If you see, in teams which have done consistently well in Tests, their lower order has always contributed.”

Kohli concluded by heaping praise on the bowlers. “Bowlers are taking responsibility, they are not selfish. If one bowler needs to bowl in one area, he’s doing that so that the other bowler can get wickets. I think this is very necessary for the people in the team to be selfless and it’s the biggest quality of this team that if someone else is taking wickets, the other bowler will bowl in one area. Our team has developed this attitude and we will have to keep working on the same thing as we go forward if we are to become the strongest team in the world.”