Fast bowler Ishant Sharma concedes India are eyeing top spot in the world rankings as they prepare to take on West Indies in the fourth Test in Trinidad starting Friday (AEST).
Captain Virat Kohli’s men, second behind Australia in the International Cricket Council rankings, will probe relentlessly for weaknesses in the Windies team, Sharma says.
The visitors lead the series 2-0 heading into the final game at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.
“If we win the next match we will be the number one Test team in the world and there can be nothing better than that,” Sharma told Indian cricket board television on Tuesday.
“Test cricket is such a format where you can never be complacent. This is a young team and we want to reach (top spot).”
India have dominated the series, overcoming the loss of an entire day due to rain to claim the third Test.
A day was also lost to bad weather in the second match but West Indies on that occasion rescued a draw.
India have shown a willingness to change their line-up to suit the conditions, using 15 players in the first three Tests to demonstrate their depth.
Pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was among three players brought in for the third game and justified his inclusion with a match-winning five for 33 in the first innings.
For the West Indies, Trinidad offers a chance to salvage some pride and show the cricket world their well-documented decline has been overstated.
Inconsistency has been a huge problem with most of their batsmen making a decent score here and there but also being dismissed cheaply as often as not.
Marlon Samuels, for example, has made 51, 37 and 48 but also gone for one, nought and 12.
Number three Darren Bravo, whose respectable Test average is almost 40, made only 41 runs in the first two Tests before enjoying a decent third game with 29 and 59.
After a pair in the first Test, Jermaine Blackwood came good with 62 and 63 in the second Test only to fall again cheaply for 20 and one in the third.
As retired West Indies batting great Viv Richards said of the fourth test: “There are a lot of guys in there who are fighting for their careers”.
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