Virat Kohli is a superstar of the modern era. And when batting great Brian Lara — who faced bowlers such as Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Allan Donald and Shane Warne for a large part of his career — praises Kohli, it is perhaps a validation from the highest order.
Lara, the only batsman to score 400 in Test cricket, regarded Kohli as one of India's all-time greats, besides Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.
Kohli was recently adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the ICC Cricket ODI World Cup, where India lost to Australia in the final in Ahmedabad. He finished the tournament with 765 runs, which included three centuries and six fifties at an average of 95.62.
The former West Indies captain was also known for his flamboyance with the willow, and he highlighted that Kohli earned his place in international cricket for his work ethic. "Team sport is about winning, and as an individual, it should be your first target, but a subsidiary of team success is individual success. It is something that Kohli has given India throughout the World Cup. What impresses me about Kohli is his true legacy," said Lara at the Tiger Pataudi Memorial Lecture in Kolkata on Thursday.
The man with 22,358 international runs feels it is unfair to dismiss the effort of Kohli in the World Cup just because India did not win it. "I know India is disappointed. But this Indian team reminds me of the West Indies team in the 70s. Every country they toured, they were loved by all. And players like Kohli lead from the front to set a legacy for themselves. It was a joy to watch him play in this World Cup," he added.
Changing Indian cricket
Kohli's hunger for discipline and fitness rubbed on to his colleagues over a period of time during his stint as captain. He also believed in creating a bank of ferocious fast bowlers to win Test matches, which he did. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav started bowling well in tandem as they had the backing of their skipper. "He has changed the face of cricket with discipline, commitment and how you prepare for a game. No matter what sport my son, Zende, plays when he grows up, I will tell him about Kohli's commitment to excel. The man is capable of anything," added the West Indies legend.
Learning from the Master Blaster
Lara related Kohli's mindset to that of the iconic Sachin Tendulkar. "I was 19, and I read in the paper that a 16-year-old Indian batter was struck on the nose by Pakistani fast bowler Waqar Younis. Any other person would have thought of a premature resignation, but he batted to save the Test match for India. Kohli perhaps learnt the mental strength from Tendulkar. You can be a star at home, but people will ridicule you if you don't perform abroad. Tendulkar is one of the players from India who set a standard wherever he batted. And he has been an inspiration for Kohli," said Lara.
Support from the West Indies
For the first time in history, the West Indies cricket team could not qualify for the ICC ODI World Cup. Lara revealed that a chunk of the Caribbean population were rooting for India in the World Cup. "There are 44 percent of Indians in Trinidad. Without the West Indies, most people were supporting India," said Lara, adding that the popularity of Indians in the islands started in the '70s when Gavaskar faced the four-pronged pace attack of the Caribbeans with a skull cap.
"Nobody wanted to go to the West Indies and bat. Gavaskar did what nobody could. He was the first major star in Indian cricket to bring sponsorship and money to the game," he added.
In his lecture, Lara also lauded 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil for his skills as India's first genuine all-rounder and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who was appointed captain at the age of 21. "Anyone who averages a touch above 35 for his country playing 46 Test matches, losing an eye and playing with one eye, I shudder to think what this man could have been capable of if he had all the faculties," said the stylish left-hander who retired in 2007 after appearing in 131 Test matches and 299 ODIs for this country.
Pataudi led India in 40 out of his 46 Test matches as a player, resulting in nine victories, a record back in the day. It is a coincidence that Kohli leads the chart of being the most successful Test captain in the past few years. He has 40 Test wins in 68 matches between 2014-2022 as skipper.
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