'India are ranked No. 1 and so much of that is down to the hard edge he instilled': Cook pays tribute to 'captain' Kohli

Former England skipper Alastair Cook has paid a brilliant tribute to Virat Kohli, who on Saturday informed about his decision to step down as India's Test captain.

Published on: Jan 17, 2022 3:39 PM IST

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Former England skipper Alastair Cook has paid a wonderful tribute to Virat Kohli, who on Saturday informed about his decision to step down as India's Test captain. Kohli's seven-year-long stint as India's leader came to an end with this decision and during this time his contribution to Indian cricket has been immense – from taking the team to the pinnacle of Test cricket to developing a formidable past fowling unit, Kohli has been at the forefront of it.

Alastair Cook and Virat Kohli in 2018.  (Getty)

Kohli has always been very vocal about his passion towards Test cricket and it was evident in his results. As both captain and batsman, Kohli's India started winning abroad – in West Indies in 2016, in Australia twice and almost getting over the line in England. Cook paid a fitting tribute to Kohli and the role he played in the coming of age of the Indian Test team.

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"Kohli, 33, was right: being a Test captain does demand hard work and perseverance; and, yes, he has taken his team in the right direction. India may have lost the World Test Championship final in June but they are ranked No. 1 and so much of that is down to the hard edge he instilled. If ever a team was shaped in the mould of their captain, it is this India side," Cook wrote in his column for The Times.

Kohli steps down as India's most successful Test captain, leading the team to 40 wins out of 68 matches. In home, India were virtually unbeatable having lost just two Tests out of 34. Under Kohli, India finished a calendar year as the No.1 ranked Test side five years in a row and reached the final of the inaugural World Test Championship. In fact, he is the fourth most successful Test captain of all time in terms of wins, behind Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh.