Virat Kohli and Joe Root: the story of two cricket captains

After seven years of “hard work, industriousness and unremitting perseverance”, Virat Kohli announced this week that he will step down as captain of India’s Test cricket team.

Kohli, 33, has led India in a “record 68 Tests, 40 wins – fourth best record of any Test captain in history”, BBC speak. His notification came after India were beaten 2-1 in the series against South Africa.

He may have passed away like an Indian Test amulet, but Kohli has built a legacy that will “live long after him”, says Guardiansby Anand Vasu. This Indian team “can and will win abroad, under any and all conditions” and his vision is to build a team that can win in Australia and England, “with a focus on fast bowling never seen before”.

In seven “impactful” years as Test captain, Kohli has shown “who’s the boss” by letting the opposition and the world “know every success on the pitch,” said Sanjjeev K Samyal in Hindustan Times.

Regarded as “one of the greatest cricketers of all time”, Kohli previously captained India in both the Twenty20 international and one day, CNN reported. However, he will “continue to contribute as a player and help Indian cricket reach higher heights”, the Control Board of Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement. statement.

Kohli captain’s age is over, but hitter Kohli will stay, said BBCby Suresh Menon. “Perhaps the captain’s end will see a hitter revival.”

Root: I want to turn the tide

Another captain of the Experiments with a Flying Future is England’s Joe Root. After his team beat Australia 4-0 in The Ashes, Root said he wants to stay as England Test captain, but admits the decision may not be his, Sports sky reported.

“I believe I’m the right man to take this team forward,” said the 31-year-old. “I want to go ahead and turn the tide. If that decision slips out of my hands, so be it.”

Following Kohli’s announcement, “I wonder what went through Root’s mind when he learned this” and “what goes through his mind in the next few weeks,” the former England captain Alastair Cook said in Sunday Times. “Only Joe knows and I respect his decision.”

For now, Root is still England’s Test captain – but a lot needs to be improved. According to Sky Sports, losing 146 times in Thursday’s Ashes Test in Hobart has resulted in England’s tenth defeat in their last 14 Tests. And only one victory has come in that time.

“At the moment we are going through a really difficult period as a group of players and the performance hasn’t been good enough,” Root said. “But I would love to have the opportunity to try to turn things around and get us to start taking on performances from the English Test team.”