IND vs ENG 2021: Mark Ramprakash feels India's victory in Australia under Ajinkya Rahane may have put Virat Kohli's captaincy under scrutiny
Former England batter Mark Ramprakash was all praise for Virat Kohli after India's victory against England at The Oval. He opined that Kohli’s captaincy may have been under the scanner coming into the England series after India won the 2020-21 series in Australia under Ajinkya Rahane.
Kohli flew back home from Australia after the first Test for the birth of his daughter. India had lost that match by eight wickets. With Rahane in charge, India went on to win two of the next three Tests and win the series 2-1.
Speaking on the BBC's Test Match Special podcast, Ramprakash said Kohli may be different from the other captains but he is a “great leader".
"What a great player he [Virat Kohli] is and what a great leader he is. Captains come in all shapes and sizes. On this tour, he seems to have come under the microscope a little bit for his captaincy. Probably because, in Australia, India went on to win the series under Ajinkya Rahane. He is a very different character to Virat Kohli."
The former Middlesex player added that Kohli is proactive as captain and is always ahead of the game.
"I watched India at Lord’s and then again at The Oval. His energy and enthusiasm is just amazing. He is a proactive captain, he is ahead of the game."
"He gets the blood, sweat and tears out of his team" - Mark Ramprakash on Virat Kohli
Speaking about the captaincy traits of Virat Kohli, Mark Ramprakash said that he sets high standards and always expects his players to give 100 percent on the field.
“He drives his players on. He gets the blood, sweat and tears out of his team. He sets incredibly high standards.”
Ramprakash added that it would be wonderful to play under Virat Kohli's captaincy irrespective of the stage of the career a player is in.
"I think he is a fantastic example to learn from, to be around him as a young player or as an experienced player. Either way, to be in a team next to him, you will feel to be a very confident player walking out onto the pitch."
With the victory at The Oval, Virat Kohli became the first Indian skipper since Kapil Dev to win two Test matches in a series in England. He also holds the record for highest number of Test matches and highest number of Test match victories as an Indian captain.