Virat Kohli.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Southampton: Australian great Ricky Ponting hailed former captain Virat Kohli's "big role" in revolutionizing Test cricket in India and said the country's batters don't fear the big stage anymore, evidence of which is their success in challenging conditions overseas.
Ponting also lauded the contributions of former head coach Rahul Dravid, who stepped down from the post after guiding India to the T20 World Cup title triumph in June.
"Going back to Kohli's start of captaincy, (he) played a big role in turning the cricket around, and (Rahul) Dravid has continued the same in the recent four years. The influence of someone like that (Kohli) around a team would be great, and they've got star players," Ponting told Sky Sports.
Under Kohli's captaincy, India became the first Asian side to win a Test series in Australia, besides recording some memorable wins elsewhere.
With his aggressive captaincy, Kohli made everyone believe that the Indian team can win overseas as well, and his confidence rubbed on the side even when he was not around.
During the last Test series in Australia in 2020-21, Kohli left for India after the first match due to the birth of his daughter Vamika. But India, under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, battled injuries and the absence of key players to eke out a historic 2–1 series win.
"They won a game at the Gabba, which just doesn't happen. I think their batters adapt to overseas batting conditions very well.
"I don't think they're as daunted by the Gabba or the Optus Oval as they maybe once were. Maybe it is a selection thing, or they just don't fear the big stage anymore," observed Ponting.
During Kohli's tenure, India won 40 matches and lost 17, with 11 ending in draws out of the 68 Tests they played.
This time around, Kohli will tour Australia under longtime India colleague Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
"Their fast-bowling depth is great. The leadership in the last 6-7 years has been strong."
Ponting also praised the Indian Premier League for producing players who like to play fearless cricket.
"For the last 10 years being around the IPL, I've noticed that a lot of the young guys (play aggressively without fear) as the IPL is high-pressure. It is like a World Cup for them.
"Their batsmen are all very aggressive stroke-making players. They are not scared of failing," he concluded.
The Aussies have failed to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since their last series victory in 2014-15 at home. The Indians have claimed the title on four successive instances since then, winning twice each at home and away.