India head coach Gautam Gambhir has lauded Virat Kohli for his unwavering commitment to Test cricket, both as a player and as a captain. “When I was coming through the ranks, especially in a time when the T20 format and the IPL didn’t exist, first-class cricket was the ultimate goal. We aspired to get into the Test side,” Gambhir said during a chat with Kohli, in a video shared by BCCI.tv.
“While playing in the limited-overs formats was exciting, we always believed that we would be judged by our performances in red-ball cricket. The legacy you leave behind in the sport is deeply tied to how well you perform in Test cricket. You played a massive role when you spoke about how important Test cricket is for you.”
Kohli stepped down as captain of India’s Test team in 2022, a day after losing a Test series to South Africa 2-1 with a seven-wicket defeat in Cape Town.
He took over as full-time Test captain in early 2015 when MS Dhoni announced his retirement in Australia, and ended up as India’s most successful Test captain ever. Kohli’s stint as Test captain was largely successful, as he oversaw the team’s rise to No. 1 in the ICC rankings and several memorable overseas victories. In 2021, he led India to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in Southampton.
Kohli’s vision
“When I had the chance to take on that role [of captain], the challenge of transitioning from an older team to a younger one was exciting. I remember being just 25 years old, leading a group of players who were also in their early twenties. My focus was on how to create a team that could become household names, just like the generation before us.
“I knew it couldn’t happen by chance — it required careful planning. I started thinking about where Indian cricket needed to be in seven years, and from that, the solutions emerged. We needed a solid group of fast bowlers, batsmen who could anchor the innings, and the responsibility had to be shared among five key batsmen and a keeper who could consistently get us 350-400 runs. We couldn’t afford to rely on a seventh batter for cushioning. All these ideas came together, and I communicated them to the team accordingly,” Kohli said, reflecting on his time as Test captain.
Gambhir noted that in today’s world, the challenge is motivating the next generation to think the same way — valuing Test cricket as much as the current generation of Indian cricketers does. “When I was coming through the ranks, especially in a time when the T20 format and the IPL didn’t exist, first-class cricket was the ultimate goal. We aspired to get into the Test side. We always believed that we would be judged by our performances in red-ball cricket. The legacy you leave behind in the sport is deeply tied to how well you perform in Test cricket.
“If we can inspire them to continue seeing Test cricket as the pinnacle, Indian cricket will remain strong. I’m a firm believer that the stronger your Test team is, the stronger your overall cricketers are,” he said.
Relying on pace
Gambhir also pointed out that it was Kohli’s insistence on creating a pool of quality fast bowlers that spurred India to many a famous win when he was in charge, both at home and away. “What you did brilliantly was build a really strong bowling unit. In Test cricket, until you have a lineup capable of taking 20 wickets, you can’t win consistently. That is what made you the most successful Test captain in the country. The credit goes to you because, while it’s easy to have six or seven strong batters putting runs on the board, the way you identified and, more importantly, instilled the right attitude on the field, particularly with the fast bowlers, was remarkable.
“Imagine having bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma , and Umesh Yadav, and winning overseas matches with them.”
On the 2014-15 tour of Australia, set to make 364 on the last day of the Adelaide Test, Kohli went for it, leading the way with a century, his second of the match, as India fell short by 48 runs. It was his first Test in charge. Gambhir recalled that game. “Despite the challenge, you were determined to win that Test match. That’s the mindset we are talking about, and that’s the culture we want to build moving forward — one where players are eager to play Test cricket.
“Test cricket is the best format if you want to judge someone’s personality or character. It reveals everything about a player. To be successful in Test cricket, you don’t just need to be the most skillful; you need much more than that. You need discipline, patience, fight, compassion, emotion, and even sympathy because, after fighting for five days, you still may not know if you’ll get the result,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir added that India’s success in the Test format in the years to come will revolve around the team’s ability to sustain a conveyor belt of quality pacers. “When we talk about having a strong red-ball team, a lot will depend on the next generation of bowlers. We’ll continue to get quality batters, as Indian cricket’s structure consistently produces them, but the real challenge is whether the younger generation of bowlers has the motivation to bowl 20 overs and take wickets.”
Comments
SHARE