Melbourne: A day after Ricky Ponting praised the captaincy skills of India’s alternate captain Ajinkya Rahane against Australia in Test 2, the great Australian said on Sunday (December 27, 2020) that Virat Kohli will be the captain of India as long as you want.
“Virat will be the captain of India for as long as he wants, but if he thinks quitting will make him an even better player, then that’s a scary thing for world cricket,” Ricky Ponting told cricket.com. .au.
Australia’s most capped international captain added: “I have no doubt whatsoever about Kohli’s captain skills or credentials, just saying that it will take something special to pick up the pieces and Rahane has been able to do it so far.”
Ponting expressed that he doesn’t think there is pressure from anywhere else for Kohli to do that, but let’s wait and see.
It should be noted that India has won 14 of the 20 completed test series, losing four times (all away from home) under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. The Kohli-led team also made history when they visited Australia in 2018 and won their first round of tests on Australian soil.
Ponting also commented on Rahane’s innings on day 2 of the second test, saying: “He almost played a similar inning to (Cheteshwar) Pujara.”
Ponting added: “There is no emotion, he has reached very little limits, but he is continually backing up his defense and trying to wear down the Australian bowlers. I think the Australians have not made him cover enough. I think they have done it a bit. “. short and have covered that region of coverage. “
Rahane led from the front on Day 2 and scored his 12th-century international, second in Australia, as India held an 82-run lead when knocked to stumps due to rain. The visitors were at 277-5 after restricting the Kangaroos to 195-10 in 72.3 overs.
Another dominant test cricket day for #TeamIndia.
It was a day that without a doubt the Captain heads @ ajinkyarahane88, whose century (104 * vs. 200) will be listed as one of the best by an Indian captain on foreign soil.#TeamIndia 277/5 (Rahane 104 *, Jadeja 40 *) pic.twitter.com/zwuHWWHYjP
– BCCI (@BCCI) December 27, 2020
Ponting had previously praised Rahane, saying: “His captaincy has been brilliant so far. Rahane’s field locations, the changes to the bowling have been quite successful. With the captaincy, making changes to the pins and changing the field, you need to guys to be able to execute well. “
Ajinkya Rahane is replacing full-time employer Kohli, who is with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child.
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