India vs New Zealand: Former Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan lavished praise on Virat Kohli the captain after India’s series triumph over New Zealand.
The Indian cricket team scripted a memorable 1-0 Test series win over New Zealand on the fourth day of the second Test match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The spinners made use of the conditions exceptionally well and helped the returning captain register another Test series win under his belt. With his clever team selection and bowling changes, Virat Kohli received some high praise from ex-India cricketers such as Irfan Pathan. The former all-rounder hailed Kohli for his leadership qualities and went a step further, terming him as the “best Test Captain India have ever had.”
Pathan took to Twitter and wrote: “As I have said earlier and saying it again @imVkohli is the best Test Captain India have ever had! He’s at the top with the win percentage of 59.09 per cent and the second spot is at 45 per cent.”
After sitting out for the first Test to get some much-needed rest post a grueling international and franchise cricket season, Kohli replaced stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane for the Mumbai Test.
The change yielded results immediately as Kohli decided against enforcing a follow-on after dismissing the visitors for a paltry 62 in the first innings.
As a way of imparting some confidence and match practice for some under pressure batters in the side, Kohli decided to bat again.
The home team rode on the heroics of Mayank Agarwal and Axar Patel to set a daunting 540-run target. In reply, New Zealand were skittled out for 167 runs, handing India a historic 372-run win.