2015 Tour Of Sri Lanka Was A Landmark Tour For Us: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli had started his tenure as India’s permanent Test captain during India’s tour of Australia in 2014. However, it was the Sri Lanka series in 2015 that marked his arrival as the skipper. The series showed the Kohli-led side’s indomitable spirit as they won the three-Test series 2-1 after losing the opening game at Galle from a winning position. That win started a run which has seen Kohli yet to be defeated in a Test series under his captaincy reign.

Since then India has defeated South Africa (3-0), West Indies (2-0), New Zealand (3-0), England (4-0), Bangladesh (1-0) and Australia (2-1). India is not gearing up for a tough couple of years where they will take on Sri Lanka, South Africa, England and Australia away from home and the upcoming series against the island nation will definitely the world number one Test side to get into the groove.

Speaking ahead of the team’s departure for Sri Lanka, Kohli recalled the last series and rightly said that it was a landmark tour which instilled a belief in the team.

“That tour for us was a landmark tour because the players have matured from then on. It’s been 24 months since then, but that tour was the start of our belief system that we can win away from home,” Kohli said.

“We do have the side required to win away from home and we do have the culture that has been created in the team to win whatever Test matches or series that we play. The mindset was to try and win the series. Losing the first Test was a shock to us but the way we bounced back was only because of the team culture created at that stage. We showed more belief in our abilities and that we could win from any situation and from then on you could see the results that we have had so far. The same mindset would apply now what we started back in 2015,” he added.