Team India saw some of its best years in Test cricket under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. The star India batter led the side to its maiden Test series win in Australia and enjoyed a 42-month-long reign as world no.1.
Under Kohli's captaincy, India's pace attack bloomed as well, with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav combining to become a formidable force in the home and overseas Tests. Over the past few years, Mohammed Siraj also emerged as India's crucial fast bowler in Test cricket.
Kohli took over the Test captaincy in late 2014; it was also the same year when Ravi Shastri took over as the team's director in a brief stint. The duo reunited in 2017 with Shastri joining as a head coach, and is credited for India's rise as a strong cricketing unit.
In a chat with Michael Atherton, Shastri opened up on working with Kohli, stating that he had identified the batter's leadership potential in the latter's early days.
“There was a lot of individual brilliance but I wanted to see team brilliance. I wanted to win and to make Test cricket paramount and identified an uncut diamond in Virat Kohli,” Shastri said, as quoted by PTI.
{{/usCountry}}“There was a lot of individual brilliance but I wanted to see team brilliance. I wanted to win and to make Test cricket paramount and identified an uncut diamond in Virat Kohli,” Shastri said, as quoted by PTI.
{{/usCountry}}“While (MS) Dhoni was my captain, my eye was on him (Kohli). I told him very early in my second month: ‘It’ll take time but watch, observe, be ready (for the captaincy)’.”
Shastri appreciated Kohli's passion for Test cricket, his readiness for challenges, and his willingness to play tough cricket.
"Kohli was fully engaged with Test cricket. He was passionate. He was prepared to do the hard yards and was prepared to play tough cricket, which fitted my way of thinking. When you play Australia or Pakistan you’ve got to have a 'no complaints', 'no excuses' attitude."
He was always on the same page with the erstwhile skipper on creating a potent pace force. The rest was history as India won back-to-back Test series in Australia and drew five-Test series in England.
"We were on the same page and wanted a battery of fast bowlers. He was ready for a scrap. He wanted to play hard. We made it a free-for-all in the nets. You were allowed to bounce the shit out of anyone. He was the first guy to embrace it; he was quite prepared to look ugly in the nets and the mindset changed.”