‘Not just one-odd Test match’: Virat Kohli outlines India’s ambition

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2019 has been a good year for Indian cricket, the fast-bowlers have become a menacing unit, the batsmen have figured out the art of scoring big runs and the captain wants to dominate in overseas conditions and not merely be content with winning matches at home. A good year ended on a high, West Indies pushed India in both the T20I and ODI series, but the better team edged ahead on both the occasions. For Kohli, the biggest positive was young players stepping up and shouldering the responsibility.

Kohli is extremely eloquent and he is extremely clear as to what he wants to do next year. He has the bowling attack to ruffle and dominate oppositions and this gives him the confidence to reverse India’s fortunes in overseas conditions.

“Having a bunch of fast bowlers like this, who can just bowl out any opposition anywhere, is a brilliant thing to have in Indian cricket. [It’s] something that we haven’t quite relied on in the past, but I think them taking the attention away from the spinners in India is a huge statement, so I think that’s what makes us feel that when we travel now, we have it in us to win a series, and not just one-odd Test match here and there. So I think it’s been hard work, persistence, learning the game, thinking about the game that’s got them to where they are and they deserve it fully,” the captain said after the win against West Indies.

Speaking about India’s bench-strength, the skipper said that were trying out new players in different roles with the hope that they would make these positions their own.

“We are in the process, every series, of trying out people, see how they react under pressure, because whether people want to accept it or not, after few years we have to go through a transition again where the youngsters will have to step up, keep Indian cricket at the standard that has been set now. It’s just about identifying those people every now and then. Once those people have been settled, then you feel like you’ve contributed to Indian cricket, you’ve left the team as strong, if not stronger than what it was when you were playing, and that is something that we’ll keep striving for,” he further added.