Former Indian international Salil Ankola has backed Virat Kohli to succeed as Test captain but believes the upcoming series against Sri Lanka will end in a draw.
Kohli will take charge of his first full Test series following MS Dhoni’s retirement from the format after the third Test defeat to Australia in January.
Kohli scored an impressive 147 as they drew against the Australians in that Sydney Test, ending the series with a 2-0 defeat. After competing in the World Cup and IPL, the 26-year-old will be back in action to lead out a strong squad in the three-Test series beginning on August 12 in Galle.
Ankola, who made his only Test appearance against Pakistan in 1989, is in no doubt that India will be successful under Kohli but feels the pitches may deny him victory.
“Every Test is a big challenge and that is why they call it Test matches,” said Ankola after conducting a special coaching clinic, run by G Force Academy in Dubai on Friday.
“In Sri Lanka, the wickets are going to be very slow and it will suit the Sri Lankan bowlers and I think there are going to be some big scoring games.
“But I doubt there will be any results in this Test series. For sure, they (Sri Lanka) won’t give India a spinning track to suit their spinners.”
The fast-bowler added: “Kohli is a very aggressive batsman and has a very good approach to the game. One thing I like about him, is that he’s a very good batsman, he has proved his mettle and faced the best of the best and has come out with some very good individual scores.
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“When you’re playing for your country, you have to excel and he’s just at the start of his Test career as a captain. He will grow and blossom and there’s still more records to come. He’s only 26 years-old so there’s still time to grow as captain and have a successful Test career.”
With the Board of Control for Cricket in India still seeking a fulltime coach after Duncan Fletcher’s contract was not renewed after the World Cup, Ankola feels current team director Ravi Shastri is the right man for the job having played alongside him.
He said: “I’ve known him since 1987 and he was a well-thinking captain with limited abilities but made the most out of it because of his brain. That’s what mattered as a captain.
“And those qualities will make him a good coach. He has the Indian thinking mentality and knows what the Indian conditions are like and he’s Indian. I don’t see why we need a foreign coach any way. He knows each and every player and that is a big advantage and people respect him and look up to him.”
While there has been talk of Kohli also succeeding Dhoni as ODI captain following the 2-1 series defeat to Bangladesh in June, Ankola insists there’s no need for a change of leadership.
Dhoni is the only skipper in cricket history to have won all ICC trophies – World Twenty20 (2007), World Cup (2011) and the Champions Trophy (2013) – and boasts a record of 101 wins and 65 losses in his 181 games so far.
“He is the best captain India has produced. The record speaks for itself,” said Ankola. “He has recorded the most number of wins and has won the World Cup not just in one format but two formats.
“He’s one of those rare captains who’s very cool-headed, supports the players and he’s with them all the time. He’s done a great job and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him.
“Just because he hasn’t won one or two games, it doesn’t mean he should quit. If tomorrow he wins another game or series again he will be on the top and that is what sport is all about.”
