NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Virat Kohli and the Indian team to succeed on two of their toughest upcoming assignments – the tour of England in June and Australia later in the year – on the back of a successful trip to South Africa. Although India lost the Test series to South Africa 1-2, they conquered the limited-overs leg with individual strokes brilliance from skipper Kohli and pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.
The last time India toured these two countries, under MS Dhoni, in Tests they went down 1-3 to England in lost 0-2 Down Under. But since, India have catapulted in a new era under Kohli where the captain has led from the front.
“He [Kohli] has taken batting to new heights and it makes us feel good for the upcoming visits to England and Australia because this team has the potential to win Test series in those two countries which is the ultimate achievement for any touring side. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have only got better, and the latter has emerged as the future of fast bowling for India,” Ganguly wrote in his column for TOI.
Ganguly, who led India to the final of the 2003 World Cup, credited the team for the amazing turnaround after the Test series debacle. He was particularly impressed with the way India bounced back to win the third Test at Cape Town and how well their bowlers did to defend 172 in the deciding T20I at the same venue.
“After a difficult start to the tour of South Africa, India will be happy that they turned it around and returned with heads held high. It was also creditable to win that last match at Cape Town, where they lost the first Test (and the series) and then came back to win both the ODIs and T20s. And it was creditable that they won the last game without the services of Virat Kohli, who had a stiff back,” Ganguly, who played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs for India, said.
“A target of 172 was not a big one looking at the way the T20 series went, but India defended really well. The difference in the win may have only been seven runs but South Africa had a lot of catching up to do.
“For India the standout for the entire tour was Virat Kohli; not only with his batting but also his inspirational leadership, especially at the Wanderers. Such performances actually make the team believe that they are better and stronger. He may have got a 40 on that pitch, but the guts and body language right throughout the Test changed the complexion for the remainder of the tour.”