Former England cricketer Michael Atherton expressed his admiration for Virat Kohli, saying he “loved” watching him play throughout all 123 of his Test matches. Atherton added that it was nearly impossible to take one’s eyes off Kohli whenever he was at the crease in red-ball cricket.
On Monday, Kohli took to Instagram to officially announce his retirement from Test cricket, just days after his long-time teammate Rohit Sharma also stepped away from the format. Over a remarkable career that helped raise the bar of the game, Kohli scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries, ending as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the format.
“You couldn’t take your eyes off Kohli, that’s what I always felt like watching him. It was noticeable to me that in his retirement statement, he referenced the challenges that Test cricket had given him. I loved watching him play every day of his 123 Tests. He put his heart and soul into Test cricket, and that energy and passion never seemed to dim,” Atherton said, according to Sky Sports.
Virat’s retirement from Test cricket signaled the close of a legendary chapter. However, the timing of his announcement has posed a challenge for India, as they now need to find a reliable replacement for the number four position on the England tour next month a role Kohli had made his own for 14 years.
Virat’s exit from Test cricket brought an era to a close. But the timing of his retirement has left India with the task of identifying a dependable number four batter for the upcoming England tour a position he occupied for 14 years.
“It feels as though at the start of a new World Test Championship cycle, this is the moment that India will start to regenerate and reshape their team. We’re not sure who is going to take his place at No. 4 yet, and you kind of pity the person who has to follow because you’ve just had about 15 years of Kohli and before that, it was Sachin Tendulkar,” he added.
The Indian team management must also decide on a new captain. As per recent reports, Shubman Gill is emerging as the leading contender for the role, even though Jasprit Bumrah was Rohit’s deputy during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah had also stepped in as stand-in captain during the Perth Test and led the side in the final match at Sydney when Rohit opted out.
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