5 players who flourished under Virat Kohli’s Test captaincy

Test cricket is undoubtedly the toughest format of the game. It enables to bring the best out of every player and exposes a weakness that goes unseen in the limited-overs format. The beauty of Test cricket is that only a few people get to realize the importance of it. Over the years, the cricketing world has seen many great captains. While Steve Waugh created a dominant cricket side, Ricky Ponting went on to accomplish everything possible in the game. But, no one would have thought that Team India would evolve into a team that would go on to beat Australia on their home soil. And, the architect of this saga was Virat Kohli. As MS Dhoni stepped down from the role of captaincy, Virat Kohli put on a show by beating teams and creating history. Well, he made the team a pace bowling powerhouse. Let us have a look at the five players who flourished under Virat Kohli’s Test captaincy: 5. Mohammed Siraj Mohammed Siraj. (Photo Source: Twitter/BCCI) As Mohammed Siraj made his ODI debut, few would have guessed that he will become a member of one of the most lethal fast bowling attacks. Siraj was being taken into the cleaners in the IPL. He leaked runs and gave away the momentum to the opposition. But, the year 2020 changed him as a person. After the unfortunate demise of his father, he took up the responsibility of bowling accurately and effectively. Now, he is one of the most effective bowlers at the moment. Virat Kohli gave him the chance to represent Team India. At Lord’s, under his captaincy, Siraj was breathing fire. Throughout his 12 Test match career, Siraj has been the strike bowler of the team. Thanks to Kohli’s guidance and mentoring. 4. KL Rahul KL Rahul. (Photo Source: Getty Images) KL Rahul was a part of the Indian Test team when it toured Australia in 2014. Being technically sound, he was drafted into the Indian side and proved to be effective. In his first series, Rahul went on to score a magnificent century as Virat Kohli was smashing centuries for fun in that series. However, after a string of poor performances, he was dropped. Even though he was a part of the limited-overs side, he was initially dropped from the Test side. But, Kohli continued to back him. As the reserved opener for the side During the Test series against England, Rahul was picked as the opener. Because of his discipline and confidence, he was able to put up match-winning performances for the team. There is no doubt that one of the major reasons for Rahul’s rise has been Kohli’s trust in him. 3. Rishabh Pant Rishabh Pant. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images/Getty Images) After MS Dhoni retired there was a big blow to Team India’s management. They had a keeper in Saha but lacked consistency. They had to find someone who could fill up Dhoni’s shoes. During his initial days, Rishabh Pant missed chances regularly. And during certain occasions, the crowd would chant “Dhoni” if Pant would let down a catch. But, with the backing of Kohli, Pant went on to become the first keeper from India to score a ton in Australia. Later on, he played a match-winning knock in Australia and India. During the recently-concluded Test series against South Africa, Pant scored a solid century to give his team some sort of hope. 2. Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Getty Images) If Team India has one of the strongest Test bowling attacks, then Jasprit Bumrah has been of the architects. After making his debut at Newlands, Bumrah has come a long way by picking 113 wickets in 27 Test matches. He has been the leader of the bowling unit and does not shy away from challenges. Under Kohli’s captaincy, Bumrah has picked seven five-wicket hauls and has won numerous matches for India. He has played most of his matches under Kohli and with 108 wickets in 67 games, he has been one of the best death bowlers as well. As India faces South Africa in the ODIs, he has been elected as the vice-captain of the Team. Usually, it is difficult for any limited-overs bowler to adjust to the tough conditions of Test cricket. But, Virat Kohli’s aggressive style of play shaped Bumrah’s career perfectly. He could bowl with more freedom. 1. Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Even though Rohit Sharma made his Test debut under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, he flourished under Kohli’s captaincy. Over the years, we all have seen how destructive Rohit has been over the years, but he was unable to make it to the Test side. After being dropped, he got a sudden call up as Team India wanted a formidable opener. Rohit got the perfect backing from Virat, and he flourished as he scored double centuries at home. Later on, he was a part of the historical Test Indian team that went on to beat Australia for the first time. Even if he was not able to score a century overseas, he did provide good starts. And a captain like Kohli gave him the perfect backing Rohit needed. During the tour of England, Rohit went on to score a beautifully crafted century at the Oval. There is no doubt that Virat had a hand in crafting “Rohit Sharma, the Test opener”.

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5 players who flourished under Virat Kohli’s Test captaincy

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