Aakash Chopra, Shubman Gill
Aakash Chopra (Image Credit: Twitter)

Virat Kohli’s legacy as captain and India‘s dominance in Test cricket will be tainted despite being on top of the rankings for five years, feels former batsman Aakash Chopra after India’s loss to New Zealand in the inaugural ICC WTC Final.

The Asian giants were defeated by the Kiwis by 8 wickets in Southampton as Kane Williamson’s side claimed the Test mace and solidify their position as the top-ranked ICC Test team.

Aakash Chopra says that the “legacy of teams and captains” are recognized by the titles they conquer; regardless of how they have been in that process, it is the result which ultimately matters – India finished at the top of the WTC table and registered series victories in West Indies and Australia while the Black Caps didn’t win a single series away from home.

India Cricket Team
India Cricket Team (Image Credit: Twitter)

“The legacy of teams and captains is defined by the trophies they win; it doesn’t matter how many battles you win if you fail to win the war,” Aakash Chopra wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.

“This Indian team has stayed at the top of the Test rankings for five straight years, but unfortunately history will remember the one hour that India didn’t plan,” he added.

Twin wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara put them on the back foot: Aakash Chopra

Chopra believes that the wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara in the first hour of Day 6 (Reserve Day), both dismissed by Kyle Jamieson, who would bag the Man of the Match award for his all-rounder effort, was the turning point of the game, with the scales then titling towards New Zealand. The wicket of Ajinkya Rahane in the same session made it even more difficult for India to set a significant target.

Kyle Jamieson
Kyle Jamieson (Image Credit: Twitter)

“They might have started the final day with the thought of forcing a result, but the twin wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara put them on the back foot in the first hour,” the 43-year-old further opined. 

Next up, the limited-overs second-string side, captained by Shikhar Dhawan, takes on Sri Lanka in July in an ODI and T20I series. The Test side will challenge hosts England in a 5-Test series starting August 4 at Trent Bridge.

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