India will seek to record a third consecutive Test series triumph on the Caribbean soil when the Virat Kohli-led side clashes with an inexperienced West Indies in the first cricket match in Antigua from Thursday.
The Test will herald a new chapter in Indian cricket history as the team will take the field for the first time under new coach Anil Kumble s guidance. Before the starts of a first Test match, Indian captain Virat Kohli thinks team combination will play a crucial role in this match.
“Yes, team combination is very crucial in this match. Combination is in my mind. But, I can not say right now. We need very strong bowling line-up to take 20 wickets of them. We learnt from Australia and Sri Lanka. We should attack from the first match. If we have five strong bowlers, then we able to take 20 wickets,” Virat said today in a press conference.
“Top five batsmen should take responsibility to score runs on the board,” he added.
Virat said that wicket in West Indies is different from others. “ Here, wickets is different from other countries. There is a lack of pace and bounce in the wicket. We have to understand the character of the wicket. How it behaves. From Our side who will get more pace and bounce, will be beneficial,” Virat told.
Virat Kohli and co. have a chance to go up in ICC Test rankings if they win the series. “We have discussed on this. If we want to be the best team then we have to improve in few areas. We lost in the first match in Sri Lanka. In second Test we started an attack on them. We have made a mistake. But, we captured and identified. we played 80 percent good cricket there. Though we lost for rest of 20 percent. It comes from experience. we must look on that,” he said.
Kohli will be hoping to win a third successive Test series, after beating Sri Lanka 2-1 away and South Africa 3-0 at home, both last year. Head-to-head, the visitors hold the advantage. But it is no secret that West Indies play their best cricket when on the back-foot. And they will be raring to go at a venue dedicated to one of their all-time great cricketers.