Mumbai: India once again became the World No. 1 in Test rankings replacing Pakistan today (October 3) after defeating New Zealand in the 2nd Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The Virat Kohli-led Indian Test side got the better of New Zealand at the fourth day of second Test by defeating the visitors by a whooping margin by 178 runs. The Indian team regained its top rank which they had lost to Pakistan last month. India leads the three match series by 2-0.
With two big wins, Indian team has jumped to 113 points. A third win will take India to 115 points. Although, India will have to wait till Oct 12th when the third and final test ends, to see the updated rankings.
Virat Kohli was very happy with his team’s performance. Starting as the captain in July against West Indies, India will be playing 17 tests of which 13 will be played at home.
“Our objective is to play consistent cricket… having rankings and getting to number one and dropping it is not in our hands, but with this long season, it’s in our control in my opinion,” Kohli said at the post-match chat at Eden Gardens.
India’s longest reign as the table topper was in 2009-2011 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kohli’s team helped India register it’s 131st test victory and they did it with great flair.
Wriddhiman Saha, cometh the hour, cometh the man
Wriddhiman Saha came to the rescue of the team twice in the Kolkata Test. Saha’s hard fought 54 not out and 58 not out in both innings helped India gain a healthy lead in a match where the visitors could have also had a chance to grab the match.
“Saha is the best keeper in the world and understands how to bat with the tail,” said Kohli, who termed India’s win “a complete all-round show.”
Kohli also responded about the highs and lows of the match. “In the first innings, we threw it away with a few loose shots, second innings the New Zealand bowlers really put us under pressure.”
“Really happy for Rohit (sharma) as well. He stuck it out, handled the pressure really well, and you know his love affair with Eden.
“More than anything, the crowd helped us pick up those wickets today. Especially someone like (Mohammed) Shami, running in, it makes a big difference to a bowler’s mindset,” said Kohli.