Kohli Says His Captaincy Record a ‘By-Product’ of Quality Team

Virat Kohli became India’s most successful Test captain as India beat West Indies by 257 runs on Monday.

(Photo: AP/Altered by The Quint)

Virat Kohli won a record 28th Test as captain on Monday, 2 September, as India beat West Indies by 257 runs in the second and final match at Sabina Park.

The 30-year-old said his record of being India’s most successful captain in the longest format was reflective of the quality of the team he is leading.

“It’s a by-product of the quality team we have here (becoming the most successful Indian captain). If we didn’t have the bowlers we have, these results wouldn’t have been possible.”

"If you see these guys running in – Shami's spell today, Bumrah after having a small niggle, Ishant bowling his heart out, Jadeja bowling a long spell. Captaincy is just a C in front of your name. It's the collective effort that matters," the skipper said.

"For us, it's just the start of the (World Test) Championship. Whatever's happened in the past is irrelevant," he said.

Kohli Heaps Praise on Vihari

Skipper Kohli is impressed with Hanuma Vihari's temperament as he youngster's self belief spreads a sense of calm in the dressing room when he is out there in the middle.

Vihari was undoubtedly India's find of the West Indies Test series as he emerged as the top run-getter with 289 runs that included a century and two half-centuries.

Now wonder his captain was effusive in his praise for the Andhra batsman.

"Hanuma was the stand-out batsman in this game. According to the surface, it was a top class innings from him. He is someone who is sure of his game and it shows. The dressing room feels calm when he's batting. That's a quality he possesses naturally," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

His willingness to learn from mistakes is also a quality that will take him places, feels world's best batsman.

“He (Hanuma) is willing to improve. He accepts and corrects his mistakes and plays with a lot of heart. Always up to do anything for the team. It’s a very young career so far but he’s shown why he’s been backed and selected in this team.”

The skipper was happy in the manner the victory was achieved.

"It was pretty comprehensive again. Played really good cricket over four days. Getting result in manner that you want is crucial. We were in some tricky situations. Took a lot of character from the boys collectively."

While West Indies batting was shoddy, Kohli rated their pace attack as top-class and as good as any top team in world cricket.

"West Indies would know the areas they need to improve on. From bowling point of view, they were outstanding. Jason (Holder) and Kemar (Roach) were the standout bowlers. Their bowling attack with the red ball here is as lethal as anyone. If they get enough runs on the board, they'll be a very dangerous opposition in Test cricket," the skipper concluded.