'After Sachin Tendulkar, he was the guy...': Moeen Ali calls Virat Kohli's retirement a massive blow to Test cricket
Moeen Ali likened Virat Kohli to another batting great Sachin Tendulkar in terms of impact on Indian cricket.
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali stated that the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be a big boost for England in the upcoming five-match Test series. The Indian team will be without the two stalwarts when they board the flight to England to kickstart their new World Test Championship Cycle. With Shubman Gill expected to take over the captaincy charge, it is going to be an uphill task for the young Indian batting line-up to battle it out on tricky English conditions. Kohli and Rohit's retirement came as a shock to many as the duo was expected to travel to England for the all-important tour after India's underwhelming show in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Moeen talked about Kohli and Rohit's experience on English soil, with the two players having their fair share of peril and glory against them.
“Definitely, I think it’s a massive boost for England. Two top players who’ve been to England a few times on tour, so they have experience,” said Moeen on Sky Sports. Both Rohit and Kohli have had their times of peril and glory in whites in England. Kohli had a famously forgettable series in 2014 before plundering runs in 2018. Rohit put in what is rated as the best performance of his Test career in India’s 2021 tour of the country," he added.
On the 2021 tour, Rohit was the standout batter for India and scored 368 runs in four Tests at an average of 52.57. The tour also established Rohit as a reliable red-ball batter in overseas conditions.
Moeen said the duo's absence will be a massive loss for the Indian team on the tough tour.
“I remember Rohit playing really well the last time they were in England. The character they have, the leaders they (are), both of them have captained India in Test cricket, so yeah a massive loss for the team,” said Moeen.
Talking about Kohli, who announced his retirement on Monday, Moeen called it a massive blow to the format and called him the pioneer who pushed Test cricket and took it to great heights.
“It’s (Kohli’s retirement) a massive blow to Test cricket. He was the one pioneer, the one guy in Test cricket that always pushed the format. Amazing player, amazing career," he added.
The former all-rounder further likened him to another batting great Sachin Tendulkar in terms of impact on Indian cricket.
“He has done enough. He’s done so much for the game itself, especially in India. I think after Sachin (Tendulkar), he was the guy everybody comes to watch and he filled out stadiums. Amazing record, a brilliant player to watch as well. The style he played with (was) very competitive and a brilliant captain as well. A big blow to Test cricket,” said Moeen.
