India needs some success in the ODI and T20I series to carry momentum into the Tests: Michael Clarke

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke showered praises on the Indian skipper Virat Kohli saying that he is the best in business and there’s no replacement for him both as a captain and leader in the cricket fraternity. Clarke believes that India needs to win most of the white-ball games against Australia if they want to stamp their authority in the Test format too.

Virat Kohli will be unavailable for the last three Test games against Australia as he would be traveling back to India to be with his Anushka Sharma during the birth of his first child. Speaking about the absence of Kohli in Tests, the former Australian captain reckoned that India needs success in limited-overs format to gain the momentum in Test format too.

“Virat Kohli is the best player in the world. Anytime he is not playing, it’s going to be a huge loss for India. What I meant was India have to start well, they need some success in the ODI series and T20 series to carry that momentum into the Test series. In my opinion, having Virat Kohli only in the first Test makes it extremely hard for India to win that Test series, particularly in Australian conditions,” Clarke said in the latest episode of Inspiration on India Today TV.

How do you replace Virat Kohli? questions Michael Clarke

Clarke further added that winning white-ball games would be a huge morale booster for the Indian players as playing without Virat Kohli on the Australian soil in the purest format of the game will be extremely hard for the visitors. Michael also spoke highly of Virat both as batsman and a leader, and stated that it is impossible to replace him in modern-day cricket. Clarke also believes that Virat has gained the same stature as a leader as the former Indian captain MS Dhoni.

“How do you replace Virat Kohli? It’s impossible. Not only his batting but also his leadership, his aggressive approach, that’s what he brings to that side. The Indian team follow him. He is their true leader,” he added.