Virat Kohli a better Test skipper than limited-overs skipper, feels Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan, the former Indian cricketer, reckons that Virat Kohli is a better captain in Test cricket than in the limited-overs formats. Kohli became the Test skipper after MS Dhoni retired from the format in December 2014 and ever since he has racked up quite a few records. Out of the 55 Tests he has captained in, India won 33 of them, translating to a win percentage of 60.

In 2019, the Delhi-born surpassed Dhoni’s tally of 27 victories to become the most successful Test captain for Team India. Pathan, who bid adieu to international cricket earlier this year, feels that the 32-year-old Virat has the quality of maintaining the same intensity throughout the duration of a Test and has upped his fitness levels to stupendous levels.

Virat Kohli does that continuously, says Pathan

“Absolutely, I believe that. And there is a reason for that. Because when you have to perform better in Test cricket, you need to have amazing fitness and the consistency of that fitness along with that,” Pathan was quoted as saying on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.

“Aggression is his strength but to continuously have that aggression for five days is not possible for everyone. And Virat Kohli does that continuously and that is why with that aggression, with that fitness, his batsmanship and his captaincy work together and there is no fall in either of them,” he stated.

“That is why I feel that what is most required in Test cricket, Virat Kohli uses that very well and that is aggression and he maintains that as well. That is why you see the results again and again,” Pathan added.

Back in 2018-19, Virat became the first Indian skipper to win a Test series on Australian soil. Though he didn’t have the best of series with the bat in hand, the veteran led from the front and took India to greater heights.

Though he won’t be a part of the last three Tests in the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli would be looking to take India to a win in the Day-Night Adelaide Test. India started their tour of Australia, losing the ODI series 1-2, but then winning the T20I series 2-1.