David Gower appreciates Virat Kohli’s respect for Test cricket

Virat Kohli has arguably been one of the greatest batsmen India have ever produced. His dedication and zeal to refurbish himself and his prowess as a cricketer have been fascinating, to say the least. India will tour England for a T20I, ODI and Test series in July where the conditions are expected to be taxing for the Indian cricketers.

Meanwhile, in a bid to perform well in those conditions, Virat Kohli has signed a deal with Surrey in County Cricket. The decision also meant that he won’t take part in Afghanistan’s maiden Test against India in June for which he has been a recipient of criticism. However, David Gower, the former English cricketer, understood the rationale behind Kohli’s move.

“He respects Test cricket”- Gower on Virat Kohli

“It is a very good thing for him. It’s a very good thing for Surrey too. It is a coup by them. They will be delighted to have him – both as a player and someone they can learn from. Virat is one of the great players in the world at this moment.

We know that his last tour here (in 2014) was disappointing. So, I know he has a list of things on his agenda. He wants to prove that he can make as many runs in England as he does elsewhere” David Gower was quoted as saying in an exclusive interview by the Mumbai Mirror.

Test cricket wasn’t considered to be Virat’s forte earlier in his career. Nevertheless, he has grown in stature in the longest format of cricket as well having scored as many as six double centuries in a space of just over a year. Gower, who played 114 ODIs and 117 Tests for England, also hailed Kohli’s respect for Test cricket and speculates the conditions, during the Test series, to be more favourable for him.

“Playing in England in August, the conditions will be more favourable (to Kohli). Being the captain, he wants to get a good result too. Personally, for people like me, it is good to see him approach this whole tour from the point of view of giving himself and his team the best chance of success in all formats. By coming here, he is making the world aware how much he respects Test cricket,” he added.

[interaction id=”5af99ab669f1ea8d7c6f6f8c”]

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com.