In recent times, breaking records has become a forte for the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli both as a batsman and as captain of India that too at an unprecedented pace. If the numbers leading up to the fourth and the final Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting January 3, are anything to go by, the Indian skipper is likely to begin the new year by breaking an array of records.
Kohli will be eyeing a historic win in Sydney as his team is on the verge of becoming the first Indian team to win a Test series in Australia. The odds are heavily in favor of the visiting team as they showcased why they are the No. 1 Test team by marking a memorable win in Melbourne after the Perth defeat and taking an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-Test series.
It will be a historic moment for Team India if they register a win in Sydney as they will be shedding the tag of poor travelers in 2018 after a solid season at home in 2016-17. One of the crucial reasons behind the same is the rise of the Indian pace battery. However, Kohli and Ravi Shastri failed in their missions in South Africa and England after the batting unit’s failure to perform collectively.
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Ahead of the Perth Test, which India lost by 146 runs, Kohli said he is lucky to captain the Indian side when the pace battery, comprising of the bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, is at its peak.
Meanwhile, Kohli will also become the most successful Indian skipper in the overseas Tests if he manages to lead his team past the finish line in Sydney. He is currently tied with Sourav Ganguly with 11 wins from 24 Tests. He will also become the first Asian skipper to win more than two Tests in Australia. Bishan Singh Bedi, who was leading the Indian team that lost 3-2 in 1978, and Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan), are the other two from the continent to win two Tests as captain in Australia.
Virt is also bidding to break the record set by MAK Pataudi as he will become the only India captain to win two series with three wins in each of them away from home. Kohli had previously led India to a 3-0 win in Sri Lanka in 2017. Pataudi had achieved the feat when he led the team to a 3-1 win in New Zealand in 1976-78.
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Nonetheless, the history at the SCG isn’t favoring Kohli’s men as India have won only one of the 11 Tests played at the iconic venue with their last win coming in 1978.
