Indore – Virat Kohli’s India were hailed as a team driven by “hunger” afterstretching their lead in the new world Test championship with a crushingwin over Bangladesh inside three days.
India won by an innings and 130 runs in Indore on Saturday to give them 300points from victories in all six of their Tests in the inauguralchampionship, which began in August and will end in June 2021.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka are second and third in the fledgling table, 240points behind but each having played four fewer matches than India.
The team’s latest triumph was ecstatically praised by the press on Sundaywith the Times of India headline reading “Demolition Men” while theHindustan Times blazed “India too fast and furious for Bangladesh”.
“Getting there (to number one) is difficult, staying there is even moredifficult,” bowling coach Bharat Arun said after India’s pacemen saw offBangladesh for 150 and 213.
“I think to do that over a period of three years, you need to stayconstantly hungry.”
Batting coach Vikram Rathour said India had built an ethos where victoryfor the team was more important than individual performances.
“It’s the team culture. It’s not about batting or bowling. The team wantsto be the number one team in the world. That’s why you see the hunger,”said Rathour.
India’s opening win in the two-match series was their third straightinnings victory and a record sixth consecutive Test triumph at home.
It was also Kohli’s 10th innings victory as captain, surpassing theprevious record of nine under his predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“Virat must be fast becoming India’s best ever skipper … #INDvBAN,”former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted.
India are now favourites to extend their winning streak to a 12thsuccessive home Test series after surpassing Australia’s previous record of10 in the recent 3-0 sweep of South Africa.
The final match of the series, beginning Friday in Kolkata, will be India’sday-night Test debut.
Kohli said he was looking forward to the new experience of playing with thepink ball in the Eden Gardens Test which will also be Bangladesh’s firstunder lights.
“The pink-ball Test is going to be exciting, will be a challenge for thebatters,” said Kohli.
“With the older ball, it doesn’t swing that much so the bowlers will have achallenge. We’re just happy to be among the first to play pink-ball cricketfor India.” – APP/AFP