Double the points for away wins: Kohli
India-South Africa second Test starts today
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That’s the big thing the Test Championship has changed. In the past, if you had a below-average pitch, you got a warning, whereas now you get deducted points. FAF DU PLESSIS |
India cricket skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday called for a change in the points system for the new World Test Championship, saying that an away win should get double the reward.
He insisted that the new championship has already improved standards in Tests.
“If you would have asked me to make the points table, I would give double the points for an away Test win,” Kohli said in Pune ahead of his side’s second Test against South Africa.
He said the change could be made for the second tournament. The first championship that started on August 1 will see the nine top nations competing in series over two years. The top two teams in the league will dispute a final.
According to Kohli, the new championship format has given Test cricket a shot in the arm.
“In earlier situations, in a three-match series you probably would have played out a draw, but teams are going to go for wins and get those extra points. So I think it’s great for Test cricket,” he said.
“It will be much more demanding on the players now, which is a good thing as it will keep the standard of Test cricket high.”
Kohli also hailed the turnaround by his new batting and bowling heroes Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami in the South Africa series.
Sharma hit 176 and 127 in his first outing as Test opener, playing a key role in India’s first Test win alongside his five-wicket haul in the final innings.