Virat Kohli has taken the Indian cricket team to the next level, especially in Test cricket. Winning Tests outside India has become a frequent thing. There was a time when India suffered whitewash defeats in the Test series in SENA countries. While New Zealand still remains a place where the Indian Test team struggles, the record in other countries has improved.
Speaking of India’s Test in the last two away series against Australia, the Indian team has won both series. The first came under Virat Kohli’s captaincy in 2018-19, while in 2020-21, Ajinkya Rahane led India to the series win. 2018 was a game-changing year for India in Tests. They travelled to England, South Africa and Australia, and won a Test in each series.
The conditions in these three nations help the fast bowlers. Hence, it goes without saying that the Indian fast bowlers performed well in the SENA countries. Many consider the current Indian pace attack as one of the best of all time.
Indian team broke a big record under Virat Kohli in 2018
Another key aspect of winning Test matches is taking all 20 wickets in two innings of the opposition. There was a time when India struggled to do so. Even in ODIs and T20Is, there were a few games when India struggled to take wickets. However, under Virat Kohli, the frequency of wickets has increased. The following stat proves the same:
Most Wickets picked by bowlers under an Indian captain in a calendar year:-
238: Virat Kohli (2018)
232: Sourav Ganguly (2002)
203: Virat Kohli (2016)
201: MS Dhoni (2011)
199: Rahul Dravid (2006)Advertisement
There have been four calendar years where the Indian bowlers managed to take 200+ wickets under an Indian captain. Sourav Ganguly was the first skipper to accomplish the feat. After him, MS Dhoni joined the club. In 2016, Virat Kohli made his entry, and in 2018, he became the number one. Kohli’s name appears twice on this list, suggesting how the Indian bowling attack has emerged under him.
