Former Indian coach Greg Chappell has come up with a big compliment for Virat Kohli ahead of the start of the first Test against Australia from December 17. Kohli who is fresh of a T20I series win against the Aussies will be available only for the first Test against the arch-rivals. Meanwhile, Chappell has said Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricket he has ever seen. In the process, he pointed out at the attitude with which Kohli plays his cricket.
In his column for the Sydney Morning Herald, Greg Chappell said that Kohli is the “most Australian non-Australian” cricketer of all time and thanked the sport’s “most important” figure for championing the cause of the Test format with his “all-out aggression”.
Virat Kohli Most Australian Non-Australian Cricketer: Greg Chappell
“Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all time. He embodies the new India. As the premier player and captain of the world’s pre-eminent cricket power, he feels an abiding responsibility to the wider game.”
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Chappell further said that many Indian team have tried to play with the Gandhian policy of non-violence against the Aussies, but it all changed since Sourav Ganguly became the Indian skipper. The Chappell-Ganguly saga is one of the most controversial stories inn international cricket.
“Many previous Indian cricket teams tended to play with undue deference to their opponents, as if in accord with the Gandhian principle. Sourav Ganguly was the first Indian captain to try to change that approach. It worked to a degree in India, but usually hit a hurdle overseas,” Chappell further wrote.
Chappell also lauded Kohli for the way he has played Test cricket in his career. Kohli has always relished challenges and test cricket has thrown at him a number of challenges in the past.
“Test cricket has always been the pinnacle for him and it has driven him to be fitter and stronger to cope with its demands. It is why he drives his team in these areas because he wants India to be respected in the most demanding format” Chappel said.
Meanwhile, searching Virat Kohli’s replacement is keeping the Indian thinktank busy ahead of the first Test. He will miss the last three Test matches as he is expecting the birth of his first child with Anushka Sharma.
Australia vs India: Test Schedule
1st Test: December 17-21 — Adelaide Oval
2nd Test: December 26-31 — MCG (Boxing-Day Test)
3rd Test: January 7- 11 — SCG
4th Test: January 15-19 — Brisbane
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