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The India National Cricket Team will be up against the New Zealand National Cricket Team for a two-match Test series starting on Thursday, November 19th, at Basin Reserve, Wellington. Ahead of that, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has dropped comments on his relationship with Virat Kohli and why he remains one of the most finest Test captains of all time.
This Test series is a crucial one for both teams given their chances to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027 final. The chances for the Kiwis are much higher than those of the Men in Blue; Shubman Gill’s side needs to win at least one game in the series to keep their hopes alive for the WTC final.
"The most influential Test cricketer": R Ashwin explains why Virat Kohli is the 'most influential Test cricketer'
While speaking on a podcast show with former India opener Aakash Chopra, Ashwin stated that Virat Kohli is the most influential Test cricketer. He revealed that the former India captain brings a lot of intensity as a player and captain, and he feels that it was missing in England’s Test series, as he announced his retirement.
He expressed during a podcast with former cricketer Aakash Chopra (as quoted by Sportskeeda) "Virat Kohli is the most influential Test cricketer. Sometimes, while playing with him, you feel like he increases the intensity a lot. I also felt like so much was not needed in some situations, and he could have been more patient. But when he left captaincy, and we played a series in England, and he was not there. I missed him in that series."
"He always brought that intensity and tried to run the game differently. I really started missing it. Then I realised he found a way to take the team forward and held onto it, which is why the team benefited a lot. When he is not there, you really feel it. I felt his absence."
"It is unreal. It is ridiculous:" R Ashwin on Virat Kohli's aggressive nature
R Ashwin further added that though sometimes that aggressive nature of his looks funny to many, inside the ground it lifts the team’s morale and the crowd as well. He also revealed that he asked Virat Kohli about the secret of bringing so much intensity on the ground, but he never revealed.
"It looks funny at times, but that intensity lifts the team's intensity, and the crowd's as well. It is quite unreal. Where does so much energy come from? I have asked him many times what he eats. It is unreal. It is ridiculous."
"Actually spoke to him about retirement": R Ashwin on discussion on Test retirement with Virat Kohli
Ashwin further stated that after the COVID-19 break, his relationship with the 38-year-old batter became much better. He also revealed the last conversation he had during the India vs Australia series, when Ashwin decided to retire, as he had not initially discussed the retirement and they were talking about batting, and later he revealed that he was going to retire.
"My relationship with Virat became better after the COVID break. I just went and sat with him. I never actually spoke to him about retirement. He was talking about his batting and how he sees the Indian Test team. He was talking like a leader. I was listening, and then he asked me what I felt."
"It was then that I told him that it did not matter what I felt because I was going to retire. He was like 'What are you saying?" He actually got emotional. He asked me how I decided on it."
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