India’s record-equalling generation face their defining Test at Lord’s this week | The Spin

Virat Kohli’s team for Edgbaston had eight men over 29 and probably need to win this series and the one in Australia to satisfy the captain’s stated ambition for his No 1-ranked side

In Phoenix from the Ashes, his book of the 1981 series, the England captain Mike Brearley perfectly captured Ian Botham’s irresistible fusion of ambition, self-belief and talent. “The sky was not his limit,” wrote Brearley. “It was his target.”

The description could have been custom made for Virat Kohli. He has set stratospheric standards since taking over as India’s Test captain during the 2014-15 tour of Australia. When India collected the Test Championship mace after moving to No 1 in October 2016, Kohli took the opportunity to demonstrate his ferocious ambition. “I’m confident we will continue to win matches at home as well as abroad in the coming seasons,” he said. “I want this team to be remembered as one of the finest Test teams ever.”

Related: Lessons for Lord’s: how England can build on victory over India

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