“Test cricket, we are overrated,” ex-India captain slams current cricketers for over-reliance on past glory in Test cricket under Virat Kohli’s captaincy
India's win rate was 58.82 percent under Kohli's captaincy, which is also the best win percentage for an Indian captain.
Virat Kohli (Image via ESONcricinfo)
Team India recently lost the first Test against South Africa held in Centurion by an innings and 32 runs. Following India’s defeat, cricket pundits started analyzing what went wrong during the match. Former India captain Kris Srikkanth thinks the current Indian team is overrated, and that India used to dominate in red-ball cricket during the reign of Virat Kohli as captain.
Kohli has captained India in 68 Test matches, out of which 40 were won (24 at home and 15 were away matches). And with 16 defeats, India’s win rate was 58.82 percent, which is also the best win percentage for an Indian captain.
Test cricket, we are overrated. I think it was a phase of 2–3 years when we were outstanding when Virat Kohli was the captain of the team.Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel
Srikkanth went on to add that the team under Kohli won in England and Australia and fought hard in South Africa. He asserted that India need to forget the ICC Test rankings and need to include players like Kuldeep Yadav instead of benching him.
He added:
It's a combination of having overrated cricketers and people who have not performed up to their potential. Or there are players who do not have enough chances, like Kuldeep.
Team India’s record in Cape Town in Test cricket
The second and last Test of the series will be played at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Wednesday (January 3). India have never won a Test series on African soil and the case will remain the same this time because they lost the first match.
India toured South Africa eight times and only one series ended in a draw(1-1). This came in 2010-11 under MS Dhoni‘s captaincy.
Even if India can’t win the series, they will try to eke out a draw, avenging the innings and 32-run defeat in the first match. But if they win in Cape Town, it won’t be much less than winning a series. In Cape Town, India had lost three matches and drawn two, but the victory never came.
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Gouri Das
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