Kolkata Test: 'Temporary' rankings don't matter to us, says Virat Kohli

Kolkata, Sep 29: India are on the verge of becoming the number one Test side in the world again but captain Virat Kohli is not bothered about that. He reiterated that rankings don't matter, calling them "temporary".

Ind-NZ series schedule; India one win away from No. 1 rank

Last month, India had lost the top Test rank to Pakistan. However, they now have a chance to reclaim that. A win in Kolkata Test against New Zealand will help them wrest the top spot.

Already leading 1-0 in the 3-Test series, India again start favourites against the Kiwis at Eden Gardens. The match begins tomorrow (September 30).

On the eve of the contest, Kohli was asked about Test rankings and India's chances of topping the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Test table. (2nd Test preview)

"It does not matter whether we are number one or not. It is temporary. If we are attached to that it can upset you. There are competitive teams. Things change in rankings if teams play good series. These things change as other teams improve. If we keep thinking about that all the time, it doesn't help. Those things which are not under our control we want to observe from far," Kohli told reporters on Thursday (September 29).

"Records don't motivate me. If you look at the Test team two years back and now, the way we are playing, it's easy to get carried away. You forget to focus on the process if you are thinking about rankings all the time.

"When you start batting, you don't think of records. I should not think of scoring these many runs or hundreds. That shifts your focus from the process. Personally I don't like to thing about those things (records). I think me and the team are working on the skills and standard of our cricket," he said.

India won the opening Test in Kanpur by 197 runs. The third and final match of the series will be played in Indore from October 8.

OneIndia News