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Kohli has eye on long-term prize

Kohli's crew must beat West Indies in fourth Test to hold off Pakistan at the top of the Test championship - but the India superstar has bigger goals

India will need to achieve something they haven't managed in 48 years if they're to remain on top of the ICC Test rankings in the coming week, but captain Virat Kohli refuses to be distracted by what he believes is a "short-term incentive".

A victory over West Indies in the fourth and final Test would cement Kohli's side as the world's number one Test nation for at least the next month, and it would also mark just the second time in history they've won three Tests in an away series.

The last time they achieved that was in March 1968, courtesy of a 3-1 win over New Zealand.

The visitors lead the series 2-0 heading into the final game at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, beginning Thursday.

India claimed the No.1 spot in the rankings after Australia's 163-run loss to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, but they will only hang on to the mantle if they beat the Windies. If the match ends in a loss or a draw, Pakistan will rise to the top spot.

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"It's a nice incentive but it doesn't change anything for the team," Kohli said on the eve of the fourth Test.

"Our goal is to play good cricket and we've done that for the last year or so. Last year when we beat South Africa we became number one for a brief period (before being overtaken by Australia) but to really be the best side in the world, you need to play decent cricket for a span of three to four years.

"This is a pretty immediate and short-term incentive."

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Regardless of what happens in the fourth Test - which could be heavily impacted by the weather with thunderstorms forecast each day - India are in prime position to take a stranglehold on the No.1 ranking over the next eight months.

Between September and March next year, India will play 13 Tests on home soil, starting with a three-Test series against New Zealand from September 22.

A five-Test series against England will follow, before a one-off Test against Bangladesh and a four-match series against Australia.

Australia will play 10 Tests over the same period - six at home and four against India in India - while Pakistan will play seven - three at 'home' against the West Indies in the UAE ahead of two Tests in New Zealand and Test in Australia.

The other short-term contenders for the No.1 ranking are England and New Zealand, with both needing away series wins over India to rise to the top position.

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Strong results across their home fixtures will be a more telling measure of India's standing in Test cricket, Kohli believes.

"You have to play good cricket over a sustained period of time to actually be the number one team in the world.

"We have played good cricket and climbed the rankings, but we've played fewer games than other teams. 

"After we've played more games, we can be judged after that. So far we've been very good, but I think at the end of the (home) season we'll be in a better position to look back on how we've played and figure out where we stand." 

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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 5-33 in the first innings.

Australia Test legend Glenn McGrath believes the young side is headed in the right direction under new coach Anil Kumble.

"India will face tougher opponents (than West Indies)," McGrath said. "But the combination of Kohli's youthful exuberance and aggression and Kumble's experience and the respect he has earned is promising for India."

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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 playing group ahead of the fourth test: "There are a lot of guys in there who are fighting for their careers."

ICC Test Rankings