The cricket great hails the impact of Virat Kohli in transforming the face of Test cricket in India. In fact, Indian batsmen head onto big stages with more conviction, as their successes in the most challenging conditions away from home soil have shown. He also heaped praise on former head coach Rahul Dravid, who resigned after guiding India to a T20 World Cup victory in June.
Going back to Kohli's start of captaincy, he played a big role in turning the cricket around and Rahul Dravid has continued the same in the recent four years. The influence of someone like that around a team would be great and they have got star players,.
Under Kohli, India went on to create history: the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia and secured notable victories elsewhere. Aggressive leadership from him installed a belief in the Indian team that it could indeed win abroad. This confidence was not lost even when he did not lead.
Kohli returned to India following the first match of the 2020–21 Test series in Australia due to the birth of his daughter, Vamika. During his absence, India, under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, fought through injuries and the absence of key players to pull off a historic 2–1 series win against Australia.
Ponting said, "They won a game at the Gabba, which just doesn't happen. I think their batters adapt to overseas batting conditions very well. I don't think they're as daunted by the Gabba or the Optus Oval as they maybe once were. Maybe it is a selection thing, or they just don't fear the big stage anymore."
Under Kohli, India played 68 Tests with the victories of 40, lost 17, and drew 11. Kohli will now tour Australia under the captaincy of his long-time India teammate Rohit Sharma. Ponting has noted how strong India had been, with the depth of their fast bowling and very strong leadership over the past 6-7 years.
Ponting even credited the Indian Premier League for developing fearless cricket. "For the last 10 years being around the IPL, I've noticed that a lot of the young guys play aggressively without fear since the IPL is high-pressure. It's like a World Cup for them. Their batsmen are all very aggressive stroke-making players. They are not scared of failing," he said in conclusion.
Since the last time they won a Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, 2014-15, the Aussies have never regained it. India has gone on to win the next four series consecutively-twice, in home and away conditions.
Read also| ‘Bumrah is Unique, Rohit Bhaiya Manages Everything So Well,’ Says Pacer Akash Deep
Read also| Rishabh Pant Makes Comeback as India Reveals Squad for 1st Test Against Bangladesh
