Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja heaped praise on Virat Kohli for his leadership in red-ball cricket ahead of the upcoming Test series against England. Jadeja described Kohli’s positive approach to taking 20 wickets in a Test as the secret mantra behind his success as captain in the longer format.
Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket. The 36-year-old ended his career as India’s fourth-highest run-getter in the format, amassing 9,230 runs, including 30 centuries. He struggled to score runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), where India lost the series 1-3 in Australia.
The Special Thing About Virat Kohli Is That – Ravindra Jadeja
Speaking on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel, Ravindra Jadeja said that Virat Kohli had an aggressive and never-say-die mindset as India’s Test captain. Jadeja stated that Kohli always wanted to take all 20 opposition wickets in a match, regardless of how much time or how many overs were left.
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“It was his positive approach – especially in Tests – the special thing about Virat is that he always wanted the team to pick 20 wickets in a Test match, so he never gives up at all, Be it a three-hour session or 45 overs left, he would still want to pick up all 10 wickets of the opposition,” said Jadeja on Ravichandran Ashwin’s youtube show.
Virat Kohli Is India’s Most Successful Test Captain
The Delhi-born cricketer led the Indian Test team between 2015 and 2022. Kohli’s tenure is often regarded as a golden era for Indian Test cricket. The team remained unbeaten in the home Test series and made history by securing their first-ever Test series win on Australian soil during the 2018–19 tour.
Kohli is India’s most successful Test captain, having led the team to 40 victories in 68 matches. India reached the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, finishing as runners-up. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin played vital roles in many of India’s successes in home conditions.
Test Series Between India and England Set to Commence on June 20
With Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket, a major concern for Team India is filling the crucial No. 4 batting spot. The upcoming five-match Test series in England will start on June 20, but the selectors have yet to decide who will take over this key role. Notably, Sachin Tendulkar played at No. 4 before Kohli.
Shubman Gill, who recently became India’s Test captain, appears to be the leading candidate for the role. This series will be India’s first red-ball tour of England since 2011 without Kohli in the lineup. The Men in Blue will be hoping to start the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle on a positive note.
The series will begin on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds. The second Test is set to take place on July 2 at Lord’s in London, followed by matches in Manchester, Birmingham, and Kennington Oval.
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