Virat Kohli has an opportunity to establish himself as India's long-term leader.
The stylish batsman, considered dynamic by some and brash by others, will lead India in their first home Test series of the post-Tendulkar era against top-ranked South Africa.
“We’re a young side looking to go up the ladder in Test cricket and so this series is special for us,” Kohli said Wednesday, the day before his 27th birthday and the eve of the first Test of a four-game series. “It’s an exciting day captaining my first game at home and being my birthday doubles up the excitement.”
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Kohli has brought in his own brand of aggression and helped fifth-ranked India get a rare Test series win in Sri Lanka recently, coming back from 1-0 down to win 2-1.
Kohli made it clear he will be looking to win Test matches against top sides by playing an extra bowler rather than beefing up the batting like other Indian teams.
“Test matches are always won by bowlers. Batsmen will extricate the team once in a while or help chase a target, but more often than not, bowlers will be putting you in a position where you are chasing a small total,” Kohli said.
Kohli said his attitude has not changed much after taking over the captaincy and he believes in giving freedom and responsibility to players as he shepherds a young team after MS Dhoni’s retirement from Tests.
“I’ve not come up with a set of rules. The whole idea is if you want to take a team in a certain direction, you have to give them freedom of expression. You have to give them room to grow as cricketers, let them make mistakes and learn themselves,” Kohli said.
Kohli, who once came out to bat at a crucial juncture of a domestic match after his father’s death and then went back for the cremation, has grown in international cricket, scoring 2,794 runs in 37 Tests with 11 centuries. In the current batting line-up, Kohli has the most Test caps.
Team director Ravi Shastri said he feels the team has a bright future with Kohli at the helm.
“He’s going along beautifully,” Shastri said ahead of the series. “I thought the Sri Lankan win was a real test of character of the boys and he himself rose to the occasion. The average side of the team is 25-26 years, the captain is about the same age and there are plenty of years ahead.”
Shastri feels it will be a big learning curve for Kohli and his teammates as they take on a team that is balanced and known to perform well abroad.
“The best thing that is happening to them is that they are up against playing the best team. It’s good to play the best team in the world early because that’s when you learn the maximum,” Shastri said.
India recently lost a three-match Twenty20 series 2-0 and a five-match ODI series 3-2.
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