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Ricky Ponting reveals surprise over Virat Kohli’s India Test decision

• By All That Trending
• 03-02-2022
• 16.44K

Virat Kohli stood down as India Test captain earlier this month, and it was a decision that took many people by surprise. The announcement came in the wake of the series defeat against South Africa, and it was a bit of a shock after confirming he was stepping down from the T20 side, before he was removed as ODI captain skipper. Kohli’s stats as captain speak for themselves. He ended his tenure in the Test format as the fourth-most successful captain ever, with a win percentage that was just shy of 59. Only Steve Waugh, Don Bradman, and Ponting himself, had a better win percentage record across Tests. At home, India were an indomitable force under Virat Kohli, as they were defeated just twice in 31 matches, and they won nearly half of their Test matches on the road when he skippered the side. But the decision made by Kohli left Ponting “staggered”, as he was convinced that Kohli’s passion was skippering India in the Test arena. He said: “Yes it did actually (come as a surprise). The main reason why is that I had a good chat with Virat in the first half of the last IPL,” “He was talking then about stepping away from the white-ball stuff and about how passionate he was to continue to be Test match captain,” “You can see he just loved and cherished that post so much. Obviously, the Indian Test team had achieved a lot under his leadership. When I heard it, I was really, really surprised.” Kohli’s records are incredible. He presided over the Test team for 68 matches, and he became the 5th fastest batsman to reach 7,000 Test runs, requiring just 138 innings to do so. The 33-year-old was a colossal figure in the Test and ODI teams, and he is rightly considered to be a legend in his home country. Cricket is the national sport in India, and the game has captivated the hearts and imaginations of the public in the way that other sports have failed to do so.  Virat Kohli has been a big part of India’s success in recent times, and cricket has a huge following in India, at least from a betting perspective. Whether it is Tests, ODIs or T20s, you can expect the best betting sites in India to carry out a whole range of match odds, as well as other outrights. Indeed, some of the most reputable sites, such as bet365 and Betway will have prices for markets, such as ‘Who will score the most runs in the first innings of a Test’, or ‘Who will be named Man of the Match?’. Kohli has been a towering figure, and he has always been a reliable batter. He is the sort of player, who loves to play his range of strokes, and he’s just shy of 8,000 runs. As Test captain, he was never afraid to speak his mind, and he stood up for what he believed in. He always put his own country’s needs before his own, and at one point, he helped India scale the top of the Test rankings. This is now a brave new era for India, who are yet to announce Kohli’s successor. A few names have been bandied about, including Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, but whoever takes over, will have some massive shoes to fill.

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