New Delhi: Virat Kohli sent shockwaves across the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from Test cricket on Monday. The cricket icon confirmed that he is hanging up his boots through an Instagram post, marking an end to a golden era.
Kohli signs off as one of the modern-day great batters, amassing 9230 runs with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85 in 123 Tests. During his 14-year-long career, Kohli’s career witnessed several ups and downs, but despite the many rises and falls, Kohli remains one of the most influential batters in Test cricket.
Kohli’s contribution to Indian cricket is far greater than his batting exploits. With 40 wins in 68 matches, at a win percentage of 58.82 percent and a loss rate of just 25 percent, Kohli signed off as India’s most successful red-ball captain.
Kohli’s transformative captaincy: A pace bowling revolution
More than his incredible record as skipper, Kohli influenced Indian cricket by prioritising fitness, instilling a winning mentality. His never-back-down approach changed the way Indian cricket was perceived, emphasising aggression and hunger to win, even in tough overseas conditions.
His leadership stint with the Indian team is often credited with transforming India’s fast-bowling culture in Test cricket.
Kohli’s desire to build an attack that could take 20 wickets in all conditions gave birth to India’s fast bowling revolution. Under his leadership, India fielded a pace attack that could win matches against any opposition in any conditions.
Under his captaincy, India transitioned from a team that primarily relied on spinners who could win Tests in favourable conditions to a unit that could dismantle any batting line-up in all conditions, particularly on overseas tours.
India’s pace battery bagged a whopping 591 wickets at an average of 26.00 and a strike rate of 51.84 under Kohli’s leadership. The fast bowlers’ strike rate under Kohli of 51.39 ranks second only to legendary West Indian batter Viv Richards’ pace attack of the 1980s in the list of captains who led in 50 or more Tests.
Virat Kohli’s lasting legacy on Indian cricket
Kohli’s captaincy gave belief and confidence to India’s fast bowlers, who aimed to take wickets and dominate the game, rather than just playing for a draw. His winning mentality inspired his teammates, and his backing and trust in fast bowlers made the team a winning machine. It was under Kohli’s leadership that bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami reached the peak of their powers.
India’s most famous overseas wins under Kohli were largely characterised by the dominance of their pace battery. The historic series win in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21, and landmark Test victories in England and South Africa are the prime examples of Kohli’s approach of adopting aggressive bowling strategies to demolish some the best batting line-ups in the world.
Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket marks the end of a phenomenal era. His 9230 Test runs and 30 centuries cement his status as a batting legend. However, his impact extends beyond individual brilliance; his captaincy revolutionized Indian cricket, particularly its fast bowling attack, leading to historic overseas wins. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
