NEW DELHI: India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has said that Virat Kohli left a lasting legacy as Test skipper for world cricket.
Earlier this year, Kohli had stepped down as Test skipper and Rohit Sharma took over the reins. The upcoming Mohali Test against Sri Lanka would be Kohli’s 100th in the longest format while Rohit will lead the side for the first time in Tests.
“I do not think Virat Kohli has just left a legacy for Indian cricket, he has left a legacy for world cricket. The intensity with which India has played Test cricket for the last few years has been phenomenal. The world has been amazed by how much energy Virat can bring. People all around the globe enjoyed that. I think Kohli brought fitness to the table and he has made that a mandate, people have followed that and you can see the standard of fielding has gone up two notches,” said Karthik on the ‘ICC Review’.
When asked about the highlight of Kohli’s captaincy tenure, Karthik said: “I think for me, it would be the Australia tour of India when India lost the first Test in Pune on a rank turner. A lot of eyeballs were raised on how can India lose on a turning pitch but after that, they played in Bengaluru, things just went on an upward curve after that. Backs were against the wall after the first Test.”
Kohli was slated to play his 100th Test during the South Africa series earlier this year, but as fate has it, he will reach the milestone in India itself with a 50 per cent crowd in attendance at the PCA Stadium, Mohali.
He holds the record for most Test appearances as India Test captain (68) and he also holds the record for most Test wins by an Indian captain (40). Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches than Kohli as captain in Test cricket.
Kohli had first led the side in Test cricket in 2014 against Australia. His last game as captain was the Cape Town Test in South Africa, which India lost by seven wickets. Filling the shoes of MS Dhoni was not going to be easy, but Kohli took leadership by storm, and quickly, he cemented himself as one of the best thinkers the country has seen in Test cricket. (ANI)
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