Virat Kohli becomes second most successful Indian captain in Tests

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Kohli won 22nd Test match as captain

Virat Kohli led India to yet another Test win by beating the hosts England in the third Test at Nottingham. After suffering a massive defeat in the second Test at Lord's, Team India showed grit and determination to win the third Test convincingly.

The Indian team outplayed the hosts in all the three departments: batting, bowling and fielding. It was a complete team performance and every member of the team deserves credit, but no one more than captain Kohli.

Kohli was under a tremendous amount of pressure after the Lord's debacle but he showed his mettle and performed brilliantly leading his side from the front. Kohli not only shined with the bat, but also rotated his bowlers in a way that each time they came to bowl, they had an impact.

In the process, Kohli achieved an important feat. The talismanic captain became the second most successful Indian captain in Tests in terms of number of Test wins. Kohli, under whose captaincy India has won 22 out of the 38 matches, pipped former legendary batsman Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly, who was also renowned for playing an aggressive brand of cricket, had won 21 Tests as captain.

Captain   Matches    Wins      Losses    Win percentage

Dhoni       60              27          18            45%

Kohli         38             22           7              57.89%

Ganguly   49              21          13             42.86%

Kohli is only behind MS Dhoni, under whom India won 27 Test matches. However, Kohli's winning percentage is already higher than MS Dhoni. While under Dhoni India won 45% of it's matches, under Kohli, the percentage has increased to 57.89%.

Dhoni had a remarkable journey as the Indian Test captain, helping India reach new heights. Kohli is enhancing that reputation making India a force to reckon with in international cricket. It won't be a surprise if King Kohli surpasses Dhoni to become the most successful Indian Test captain in the coming months. 

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