Virat Kohli yet to be tested as captain, says Sourav Ganguly
What's the story?
Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli may be closing in on Sourav Ganguly's feat of 21 Test victories as skipper, but the former Indian captain believes that Kohli's abilities as a leader can only be assessed when India tours countries like England, South Africa, and Australia.
"Virat hasn't been tested yet. Sri Lanka is probably not the strongest Test side at the moment. For me, the fans as well as for Virat Kohli himself, the yardstick will be how well his side performs in South Africa, Australia, and England," Ganguly said.
Praising India's clinical performance at Galle which saw the visitors take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match Test series against Sri Lanka, Dada expects the hosts to continue struggling in the remainder of the series as well.
"India are perfectly balanced with so much firepower in their batting, bowling, and fielding. Sri Lanka on the other hand, have a lot to worry about," he said. "I feel India won't be challenged in these conditions."
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The Men in Blue secured a comprehensive 304-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka with a day to spare as Shikhar Dhawan celebrated his come back to the side after a gap of nearly 10 months with a Man-of-the-Match winning performance, scoring 190 in the first innings.
The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Abhinav Mukund and Kohli impressed as well and so did the bowlers, piling on the misery for the hosts who have been struggling for form.
The details
India's 304-run victory over Sri Lanka was Kohli's 17th Test win as skipper of the Indian cricket team and the 28-year-old is only four wins behind Ganguly's tally of 21 Test wins as skipper.
While he is still a long way behind Dhoni's record of 27, Ganguly, who is credited with India's turnaround in performances in overseas conditions, believes that it will be India's performances in countries like Australia, England, and South Africa that define Kohli's calibre as a skipper.
Kohli did begin his Test captaincy in Australia deputising for Dhoni during the tour Down Under in 2014/15 but is yet to lead the side out on a full-fledged tour in any of the above three countries.
As for the present, Ganguly feels that India have a well-balanced outfit and praised the way the side has been playing since Kohli took over as skipper.
The Galle Test also saw Kohli returning to form in the Test format after a lean run in the series against Australia, but Ganguly dismissed the suggestion that the Delhi cricketer has been consistently amongst the runs barring that one series.
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What's next?
While it was already confirmed that new Test skipper Dinesh Chandimal would be unavailable for the first two Tests against India, Sri Lanka's struggles were further compounded when Asela Gunaratne was ruled out of the Galle Test as well as the remaining two matches after injuring his thumb during the opening day of the match itself.
On the other hand, India are spoilt for choices with KL Rahul expected to recover in time for the second Test which begins at Colombo on August 3. With both Dhawan and Mukund impressing at Galle, it will be interesting to see how Kohli goes about picking his openers for the second Test.
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Author's take
It is no secret that Ganguly admires Kohli's attitude on the field - a gentle reminder of his younger self perhaps - and it is understandable that he wants the Indian skipper to impress in foreign conditions as well.
Dhoni might be India's most successful Test skipper, but the abysmal record in overseas conditions will forever be a blemish in his record books and it is one thing Ganguly wants Kohli to correct as Indian skipper.
After impressing in familiar conditions, Kohli's true test will begin with India's tours of South Africa and Australia later this year.