Former Team India cricketer Mohammad Kaif spoke about why MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli became such great Test captains for the side at home.
The former cricketer shared a video on his official social media handle in which he said the reason behind Dhoni`s success as captain was that he created an environment where the players felt comfortable and then used to back the players.
His comments came after Team India suffered a 0-2 Test series defeat against South Africa at home.
“Do you know why Dhoni and Virat Kohli became such great captains? Dhoni first backed the players, created an environment where the players felt comfortable, and then backed them. He had such deep knowledge of reading the back that he built his team accordingly. He used Ashwin, Jadeja, and even Pragyan, and all of them took wickets. When Dhoni captained the Indian team, there was a presence which gave a big advantage,” he said in a video.
Later, speaking about Virat, Kaif said that the 37-year-old cricketer was one step ahead of Dhoni. Virat had a clear message for bowlers that if they want to play, they have to pick up 20 wickets.
“Virat Kohli went one step ahead of Dhoni. His aggression comes out when the team is in trouble or stuck. Kohli told his bowlers, If you want to play, then you have to take 20 wickets; else, don`t come to the ground. You know, Kohli has lost two Test matches at home he captained in 31 Test matches. Kohli believed in keeping the core intact,” said the 44-year-old former cricketer.
“South Africa came earlier when Kohli was the captain. They lost so badly. Virat used his fast bowlers and also backed the spinners after assessing the opposition team. This was his speciality, which is why both Kohli and Dhoni became such great captains,” Kaif signed off.
By far, Virat Kohli is the most successful Team India captain in Test cricket at home. Having led the team in 31 matches, he managed to win 24 games, a record that is unmatched among the Indian captains in the longest format of the game.
(With ANI Inputs)
