AUS v IND 2018-19: Virat Kohli’s habit of learning will make him the greatest Indian captain ever, says Sunil Gavaskar

Virat Kohli is on verge of becoming the first captain to win a Test series in Australia.

Virat Kohli smiles as umpires call the day off due to bad light | GettyIndian captain Virat Kohli is on verge of becoming the first Indian captain to win a Test series against Australia in Australia, as India leads Australia by 316 runs in the fourth and final Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Australia was bowled out for 300 on a rain-marred day and Virat Kohli asked them to follow-on, something that India has done only once before in Australia in 1986. However bad light stopped play with Australia 6/0 in their second innings.

Sunil Gavaskar was impressed with the growth Virat Kohli has shown as the captain of Team India over the last year and believes that he will be the best-ever captain Indian cricket has had in terms of results if he continues in the same vein.

Kohli came under fire after India lost overseas Test series to South Africa and England in 2018, but retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a lead of 2-1 in the ongoing series, has brought praise from all quarters.

"As a captain, I still have my little concerns but I think now what has happened, he [Virat Kohli] is a fast learner, and we have seen that in this series. If we keep learning, he is going to be the best-ever [captain] that India has had, in terms of results and in terms of getting the players to perform at the highest level," Gavaskar told Sony Sports on Sunday.

Gavaskar called that Kohli’s strength as captain was being an outright leader. "The fact that he's the leader of this team [Virat Kohli's strength as a captain] and there are no two ways about that. Tactically like Michael Clarke said, he has got the better of Tim Paine but Paine has got a team in transition may be with the banned duo of Smith and Warner not there.

"Having said that I feel some of the tactical moves Virat has made has been faultless in this series, not so much in South Africa, not so much in England. But over here certainly I think he has led from the front and he has shown everybody not just his team but the opposition, who's the boss," Gavaskar said.

"Well if you look at the team, nobody actually does that [aggressive moves], he is probably the only one. May be the bowlers when they get a wicket, they show a little more emotion but not too many,” said Gavaskar.

"When they won in Melbourne, everyone was excited because at that stage, it was clear they couldn't lose the series, they have a very good chance of winning the series because of what had happened in South Africa and England, when they had lost the series, by winning at Melbourne it was certain they couldn't lose the series and there was a little bit of excitement there but to each his own,” he added.

"Whatever works for every individual to pump himself up. He likes to pump himself up with that show of aggression, may be for others it doesn't. It doesn't have to be that everybody in the team is following what the captain is doing in terms of showing that emotion, you work according to what works for you. By no stretch of imagination it means you're less passionate if you're not emotional. I mean you can have a look at the Tendulkar, Dravids and Dhonis, I mean if anybody tells me they were not competitive - they were not demonstrative but oh God, they were very competitive," Gavaskar signed off.

(with inputs from indiatoday.in)

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 06 Jan, 2019

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