"If ever a team was shaped in the mould of their captain, it is this India side" - Sir Alastair Cook on Virat Kohli's resignation as Test skipper
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has reacted to Virat Kohli's resignation as India's Test skipper, lauding him for making them a world-beating side. Cook agreed with the Indian cricketer's statement of a Test captain needing plenty of patience and hard work.
In a massive development on Saturday, Kohli stepped down as Test captain of the Indian team. The 33-year-old did so a day after India succumbed to a Test series defeat against South Africa.
The veteran cricketer conceded he has "left everything out there" since taking charge officially in 2015.
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Writing in his column for The Times, Cook believes the 99-Test veteran has done a spectacular job as India's red-ball skipper and inserted that winning mindset. Highlighting how his attitude has rubbed off on the team, the 37-year-old wrote:
"Kohli, 33, was right: being a Test captain does demand hard work and perseverance; and, yes, he has taken his team in the right direction. India may have lost the World Test Championship final in June but they are ranked No. 1 and so much of that is down to the hard edge he instilled. If ever a team was shaped in the mould of their captain, it is this India side."
The right-handed batter stunned the cricketing fraternity by announcing his decision to give up his Test captaincy on Saturday.
The prolific batter had already stepped down as the T20 skipper before the 2021 World T20, while the BCCI replaced him with Rohit Sharma in ODIs.
Virat Kohli is the most successful Indian Test captain
Virat Kohli finishes as one of the most successful captains to play Test cricket 👏 https://t.co/sOvK4ARJ4p
The Delhi-born cricketer is also the most successful Indian Test skipper, registering 40 victories in 68 matches. His 40 wins are also the fourth highest in history behind Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh.
It remains to be seen who the BCCI will announce as his replacement in the coming months.
The 33-year-old will next be seen in the three-match ODI series against the Proteas, starting from January 19.