Kingston (Jamaica): India beat West Indies by 257 runs to win the second Test and thereby clinch the series 2-0 here on Monday.
Needing 468 to win, West Indies were all-out for 210 in 59.5 overs with Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami taking three wickets each.
High praise for Vihari
India captain Virat Kohli singled out Hanuma Vihari for special praise for his work ethic and temperament, saying the young middle-order batsman’s self belief while batting spreads a sense of calm in the dressing room.
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.
“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. Vihari’s willingness to learn from mistakes is also a quality that will take him places, feels the 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,” Kohli said.
The skipper was happy in the manner India had achieved the victory in the second Test here. “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,” Kohli said.
Kohli, who won a record 28th Test as captain, attributed the success to the bowling unit, which has played its role in one victory after another.
“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.
While West Indies batting was shoddy, Kohli rated their pace attack as top-class. “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 said.
Most complete bowler
Kohli said Jasprit Bumrah is the most complete bowler in world cricket right now and with his work ethic, the speedster has long shed the tag of being just a T20 specialist.
Bumrah was called a T20 specialist when he first burst into the scene but Kohli said the 25-year-old pacer has proved to be invaluable in all formats with his work ethic. “He confuses with his angles, swing and pace.
I think he is the most complete bowler in world cricket right now,” Kohli said.
“It’s really pleasing to see a guy who was tagged a T20 specialist, he came and took over the ODI scene and now Test cricket. He is proving people wrong that there is a set template for every format,” he added.
