IND v WI: Virat Kohli's 5 decisions that turned match in India's favour

  New Delhi: Not many had hoped that result is possible in the third test at St. Lucia after rain had washed out the entire Day 3. But some outstanding swing bowling by comeback man Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and attacking batting by Rohit Sharma and Rahane helped India pull off an improbable win in the final day. One man silently made all the right choices which made him the first ever Indian captain to win two test matches in the Caribbean islands- Virat Kohli. Here are five decisions of Kohli that turned the match in India’s favour. 1. Playing Bhuvaneshwar Virat took a lot of flak for changing the playing XI from the Jamaica test but what transpired in St Lucia left everyone awestruck. Virat brought in Rohit Sharma in place of Cheteshwar Pujara, Amit Mishra made way for Jadeja but the change which had a decisive impact on the match was in the fast bowling department. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, replacing Umesh Yadav, literally swung India back into the match with an outstanding five wicket haul in the fourth day that gave India a vital 128 run lead. “Very few people like changes. This team doesn't think how others would react or what they might say.  We replaced Umesh with Bhuvi because we felt that since the ground is so good it would be easier to maintain the shine on the ball, Bhuvi gave us the results.” Said, Kohli. Kumar sure did give India the results with the second new ball. He swung the ball both ways and returned with figures of 5 for 33 in 23.4 overs. Kohli attacked with three slips and two gullies, from 202 for 2 West Indies were all out at 225, giving India a realistic chance of a victory.   2. Quick declaration Declaring on the fifth day morning, giving the opposition a target of 300 plus is a tactic, mastered by the Australians. But on the final day of the St. Lucia test match the declaration came from an Indian captain; a highly positive Indian captain. Starting the day with a lead of 285 runs, India was looking to score quickly. In the quest they did lose 4 wickets but what mattered was their run rate of 6.68. As soon as Ashwin got out, Kohli wasted no time in declaring the innings. West Indies needed 346 runs and the target for India was to get 10 wickets in 87 overs. Unlike the Jamaica test, the West Indians were caught in two minds. It resulted in unsure footwork; half-hearted shots that gave India the breakthroughs. West Indies slumped to their lowest ever score in test match Cricket and India won the test match as well as the series.   3. Forward short-leg tactic Two West Indian batsmen were out caught at forward short leg on the final day and it was not Ashwin or Jadeja who got the wickets. It was Mohammed Shami who used his extra pace and bounce. Kohli kept a fielder right under the batsman’s nose and it paid dividends immediately when Shami got one to bounce off a good length and Johnson fended it to Rohit Sharma at forward short leg. In the 42^nd over India got their prized scalp. It was almost an action replay; the only difference was that Sharma was standing slightly deep than the customary forward short leg position. Bravo got an inside edge off Shami and it lobbed into Sharma’s hands. Kohli got reward for his attacking consistently.   4. Drying out runs When India took the second new ball in the first innings West Indies was at 181 for 3, scoring at rate off 2.26 runs per over. Kohli’s impeccable field placements backed up by some disciplined bowling kept India in the game. Jadeja, brought into the side in place of Mishra, tied one end up with an economy rate of 1.12 runs per over and forced the Caribbeans to play rash strokes at the other end. Soon after, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s heroics brought India right back in the game.   5. Planning out Chase and Blackwood India had got considerable success with short pitch bowling in the first innings of Jamaica but Roston Chase and Jermaine Blackwood counter attacked exposing India’s lack of a plan B. But Virat Kohli is not the man to repeat the same mistake twice. He strangled Blackwood by making Bhuvaneshwar Kumar bowling an outside the off stump line with a seven-two field. A restless Blackwood got himself stumped off Jadeja.  Roston Chase, the hero for West Indies in the second test match was not given any short deliveries to camp on his back-foot. Ishant Sharma brought one back in off a fuller length and Chase’s off stump went for cartwheel.