David Warner lauds MS Dhoni's impact on Virat Kohli's captaincy
What's the story?
David Warner has come out in praise of MS Dhoni, opening up about the positive impact the former Indian skipper has had on current captain Virat Kohli. Warner, in an exclusive chat with India Today, spoke about how Dhoni has helped Kohli make decisions on the field and how it has yielded only positive results.
"MS Dhoni brought a sense of calmness to his captaincy. He did a great job as captain and he is still doing a great job, nurturing Virat and that is a great thing to do for a former captain. He is nurturing Virat and that is a good thing for both men."
The hard-hitting Aussie opener, though, feels that Kohli has not yet been tested as captain and his real challenge would be when India begin to lose matches on the trot.
"Virat has not had a lot of non-success as captain but the real challenge comes when you start losing games," Warner continued. "The real test comes when you start losing some games. We are here for another three matches to go and hopefully we can turn that around and maybe we will see a different captain."
In case you didn't know...
Dhoni stepped down as skipper of the Indian side earlier this year, handing over the reins to Kohli, who has done a fine job so far.
The Delhi lad has led his side to victories against West Indies, England and Sri Lanka and is well on course to upstaging the visiting Australians as well. Kohli also took India to the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
The heart of the matter
Following Dhoni's decision to step down, Kohli was appointed the captain of the side, a role he has taken to like a fish to water. However, Dhoni has had a hand in many of the decisions Virat has taken on the field. The 28-year-old can often be seen conferring with the former skipper before setting fields and taking reviews.
However, it is not a one-way street. Kohli is responsible for Dhoni's recent resurgence with the bat, and has, in the past, defended the former skipper when he was in the line of fire following a barren run of form.
What's next?
India currently lead the 5-match ODI series against Australia 2-0 and will be looking to seal the deal when they take the field on Sunday (24th September). Kohli and Dhoni are both in sparkling form and will look to build on that while Warner will look to get his side's campaign back on track following a couple of poor outings.
Author's take
Dhoni, during his time, was probably one of the coolest captains in the world of cricket and the calm and composure he has seems to be rubbing off on Kohli as well, who has toned down his antics dramatically in the last few months.
The 36-year-old's experience is invaluable and with him advising Kohli on the field, Indian cricket seems to be in good hands.