Virat Kohli steps down as India's Test captain

Kohli, who first captained India at the Adelaide Test in 2014 against Australia, was appointed to the full-time role after MS Dhoni retired

Wasim Jaffer summed it up best in his tweet while commenting on Virat Kohli’s legacy as India’s Test captain, which came to an abrupt end on Saturday.

“When Virat took over as Test captain, India winning a Test overseas was an achievement, now if India lose an overseas Test series it is an upset. And that’s how far he has taken Indian cricket forward, and that will be his legacy,” the former India opener remarked.

Yes, he was combative and controversial. One may have cringed at his over-the-top aggression, may have questioned his strange selections and methods, but he was courageous enough to risk his image and defeats in the pursuit of victory. That he is the most successful captain across formats isn’t his greatest contribution to Indian cricket. He has led India in most Tests (68) and has most wins (40) to his credit.

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His ODI win percentage (68.4) is the highest among all India captains who have led in at least 15 games. Like Jaffer says, his biggest legacy is he made people and his team-mates believe they could win overseas.

“It’s been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I have done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there,” said Kohli in his tweet while announcing his decision to quit as Test captain.

The 33-year-old had resigned as T20 skipper in September last and was removed as ODI leader, ahead of South Africa tour.

Kohli didn’t wield a magic wand to bring about this radical shift in the team’s attitude. When he took over the Test reins in 2015 following M S Dhoni’s surprise retirement from red-ball cricket, he identified the biggest single factor that could help India win matches in countries like Australia, England and South Africa.

He realised that he not only needed a bunch of quality pacers but ‘fit’ fast bowlers who could bowl at high speeds for long periods of time.

That’s how he introduced the culture of fitness in the team and led from the front. It may not have worked all the time with all players, but he changed the mindset of cricketers towards fitness.

Kohli made being fit a fashion among youngsters, and its impact can be felt even at the domestic level across age groups.

A part of the credit in moulding the team should also go to the support staff of then head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun. They were instrumental in implementing Kohli’s shared vision.

“You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful,” Kohli noted, talking about Shastri and support staff. “To Ravi bhai and the support group who were the engine behind this vehicle that moved us upwards in Test cricket consistently, you all have played a massive role in bringing this vision to life.”

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From tigers at home to one of the best travelling sides in the world, India’s Test unit has undergone a massive metamorphosis. Much of the credit for that should go to Kohli. His special accent on pace saw India beat Australia in Australia twice in a row. He may not have been there for a full series the second time around, but the results of his investment were evident in India’s remarkable comeback.

He was unafraid to experiment with combinations -- like playing leggie Karn Sharma ahead of R Ashwin in the Adelaide Test in 2014, picking Hanuma Vihari ahead of Karun Nair in England in 2018 - and didn’t mind losing a match if he sensed a win with a little bit of risk. This was far removed from most of the previous captains who, for want of requisite resources or to avoid backlash, often thought of safety first.

It wasn’t thus surprising that he is the fourth most successful captain in Test cricket history (who have led in at least 20 Tests) in terms of wins behind Greame Smith (53 wins in 109 matches) Steve Waugh (41 wins in 57 games) and Ricky Ponting (48 in 77 games).

A series win against the Proteas would have made him the only captain to have won in Australia, England (leading 2-1 in the five Test series) and South Africa, but that was not to be. That was perhaps the proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back. Kohli hasn’t enjoyed the best of relationships with the BCCI in recent times and the defeat may have just hastened his decision.

“I have always believed in giving my 120 per cent in everything I do, and if I can’t do that, I know it’s not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team.”

That, however, takes little away from what he achieved as captain. He has raised the bar for future India skippers who will be, fairly or unfairly, judged by Kohli’s unmatched standards.

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