New Delhi: Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has hailed star batter Virat Kohli’s massive role in revolutionizing Test cricket in India. The Australian great has said that Indian batters don not fear the big stage anymore and Kohli deserves a lot of credit for it. Citing an example, Ponting said that India’s success in challenging conditions overseas at present is a clear evidence of it.
Apart from Kohli, the former Aussie skipper also lauded the contributions of the former India head coach Rahul Dravid, who stepped down from his role after guiding India to the T20 World Cup triumph in June. In an interaction with Sky Sports, Ponting said that thanks to Kohli’s big influence, Team India have a bundle of star players now.
Influence of Kohli has been big
“Going back to Kohli’s start of captaincy, he played a big role in turning the cricket around, and Rahul Dravid has continued the same in the recent four years. The influence of someone like that Kohli around a team would be great, and they’ve got star players,” Ponting told Sky Sports.
Under Kohli’s captaincy, India became the first Asian side to win a Test series in Australia, besides recording some memorable wins elsewhere. With his aggressive captaincy, Kohli made everyone believe that the Indian team can win overseas as well, and his confidence rubbed on the side even when he was not around.
During the last Test series in Australia in 2020-21, Kohli left for India after the first match due to the birth of his daughter Vamika. But India, under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, battled injuries and the absence of key players to eke out a historic 2–1 series win.
“They won a game at the Gabba, which just doesn’t happen. I think their batters adapt to overseas batting conditions very well.
“I don’t think they’re as daunted by the Gabba or the Optus Oval as they maybe once were. Maybe it is a selection thing, or they just don’t fear the big stage anymore,” observed Ponting.
(With PTI inputs)
Australian great has said that Indian batters don not fear the big stage anymore and Kohli deserves a lot of credit for it. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
