Skipper Kohli urges India to be ‘ruthless’

CaptainVirat Kohli has called on his players to be “ruthless” after thecrushing one-day series win over Australia took India top of the worldone-day rankings to add to their number one Test status. Afive-wicket win in the third game of the five-match series on Sundaygave India an unassailable 3-0 lead over Steve Smith’s Australia. Italso stretched India’s winning streak to a record 12 matches across allformats.Kohli’s side have been on a roll for the past year sinceregaining the number one Test spot with a 3-0 home whitewash of NewZealand. The in-form captain has led from the front with 1,137 runs in21 50-over matches this year, ahead South Africa’s Faf du Plessis as thehighest one-day scorer in 2017.Kohli praised his team after thelatest win against the once mighty Australians, who have been outplayedin India. Smith’s team also lost a Test series 2-1 in India this year.“Creditto the whole squad for the series win, but the journey stops only afterthe final game,” said Kohli, the top ODI and T20 batsman in theInternational Cricket Council (ICC) ratings.“We may giveopportunities for people from now, but all 15 guys know that we got tobe ruthless once we step onto the field,” Kohli added.The series hasseen new Indian stars emerge, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya andleft-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav making an instant impact. WhilePandya’s crucial 78 led the team’s run chase in Indore, Yadav impressedwith his maiden hat-trick in the second international.Howeverlegendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi believes India have not been testedby opposition teams, barring the Champions Trophy final in June againstPakistan which they lost by 180 runs. India won 10 of their 13 Tests onhome soil in the 2016-17 season and then went on to rout hosts Sri Lankaover nine games in all three formats.“Realistically speakingIndians are not even fielding their best XI and beating the oppositionhands down, whether it is Sri Lanka or Australia,” Bedi said.“We areloving the ratings, but if we are a little more pragmatic then you willrealise that the Indian team in the last year or so haven’t beenstretched by the opposition. “Just that one game in the Champions Trophyfinal against Pakistan, other than that we have not seen them in atight situation.“We will get to know the character of the team whenthey come out of a tight situation,” Bedi added. Left-arm spinner AxarPatel returns to the Indian squad in place of Ravindra Jadeja for thefinal two ODIs that will be played in Bangalore and Nagpur on Thursdayand Sunday. Patel, who sprained his ankle at the start of the series,will join Chahal and Yadav as the third spinner in the 15-man squad.