Ricky Ponting, the former captain of Australia’s cricket team, has given glowing remarks about Virat Kohli for revolutionizing test cricket in India. Since Kohli assumed the role of Test captain, he was able to turn around their performance. From the end of 2014 until early 2022, Kohli was India’s Test captain and as a result, India flourished under him. He made them believe that they could win even when playing abroad; his brand of cricket was aggressive one. Under his tutelage, India became the first Asian nation ever win a Test series on Australian soil.
“They have great fast-bowling depth,” Ponting said while speaking to Sky Sports. “For last six or seven years leadership has been strong. His beginning period as skipper for India played an important role in changing things for cricket and lately Dravid has followed suit during past four years. A person like that [Kohli] surrounding a team would really do great wonders and they have star players.”
India participated in 68 tests from 2014 till date during which they won 40 games lost 17 and drew 11 games. His records both at home and away made him emerge as one of the most successful red-ball captains ever in India’s history.
Nevertheless, previously, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is scheduled to visit Australia as a player lead by captain Rohit Sharma in the upcoming series. During the last series that was played between 2020 and 2021, Kohli left after one game to spend time with his wife during the arrival of their baby girl named Vamika.
Despite Ajinkya Rahane taking the place of Kohli during his absence, India managed to win a historic 2-1 series triumph despite numerous injuries and lack of important players in their roster.
Ponting remembers this momentous occasion when India triumphed over them for the first time since thirty-two years at Gabba Grounds; which were known as impregnable fortresses where no foreign squadrons could penetrate into that region during Test matches. He pointed out how much attitudes had changed within the Indian team making them more daring than before.
“They won a game at Gabba which simply doesn’t happen. I think their batters adapt to overseas batting conditions very well. I suspect these days they are not scared of even Gabba or Optus Oval as they used to be perhaps,” he said further.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has made a tremendous impact in grooming Indian cricketers for the global arena.
As an example, he said: “Being a part of IPL for the past 10 years I have seen many young players who don’t fear high-pressure situations anymore since IPL is like a world cup for them; they all play aggression based strokes and they don’t mind getting it wrong”
