Virat Kohli will lead the team to Sri Lanka tour. (Source: AP)
Two years after he announced himself on the big stage as India’s Test captain, Virat Kohli is once again leading to the same country where his team’s path to the top began. India were trailing the three-match series against Sri Lanka in 2015 but a stunning turnaround under the captaincy of Kohli led them to win it 2-1.
“That tour for us was a landmark tour,” Kohli said. “If you look at the average age of that team a couple of years back… Obviously, the players have matured from there on.”
Kohli and the Indian team departed for Sri Lanka where they will play three Tests, five one-day internationals and one T20 international against them. The previous series became a landmark because after winning that India have since beaten West Indies away and South Africa, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia at home.
“That tour for us was the start of the belief that we can win, win away from home and we have the side to win away from home. We showed more belief in our abilities and that we could win from any situation,” Kohli said. “That really turned our mindset around. From then on you can see the results.”
Before the Sri Lanka tour, India had lost to South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia and Kohli was criticised for not leading the team in the one-off Test against Bangladesh. It grew once India lost the first Test against Sri Lanka before things turned around.
This will also be the first tour for India after the appointment of new head coach Ravi Shastri. This was after a lot of drama regarding India coach in which Anil Kumble resigned after differences with Kohli and Shastri asking for his own support staff. Putting behind all this, Shastri said that they will approach this with a fresh mind.
“Mine will be a refresh button that will be pushed and I will carry on from where I left. I don’t come with any baggage,” the 55-year-old said. “The team has done exceedingly well over three years and they are the people who deserve the credit more than anybody else. These Ravi Shastris and Anil Kumbles will come and go. The fabric of Indian cricket will remain.”
