‘Like Ganguly, Kohli has done the same for India’: John Buchanan points out similarity between current and former captain

A couple of years ago, India captain Virat Kohli wrote a new chapter in his career by conquering the 4-match Test series in and against Australia 2-0, becoming the first Asian captain to do so. Kohli is known for his fearless approach on the field, and this quality has inspired former Australia coach John Buchanan to draw a parallel between Kohli and former captain of the Indian team, Sourav Ganguly.

Also Read | Ishant Sharma starts bowling full tilt at NCA

In a conversation with Sportstar, Buchanan stated that there are glimpses of Ganguly in Kohli. He credited both the greats of the game for finding out ways to win games against mighty opponents.

“Once Sourav took over, he instilled a different way of not only playing but also a different way of just conducting themselves against strong oppositions like Australia. It was a developing rivalry for sure, but Sourav was able to take it to another level. Like Ganguly, Kohli has done the same thing for the India team,” said Buchanan.

Also Read | Wriddhiman Saha bats at the nets, hints return to fitness - WATCH

Buchanan continued to shower praises on Kohli, stating that his leadership was the key in India’s 2-1 win in 2018-19 in Australia.

“He [Virat Kohli] has done an incredibly good job – irrespective of whether he is scoring runs or not. If we go back to 2019, Pujara was the star of the series and Kohli made some contributions, so did [Ajinkya] Rahane. But Kohli’s real contribution is his leadership and captaincy and the way he instils greatness – not only to win games but also in finding a way to beat teams,” said Buchanan.

Also Read | Bumrah, Shami likely to be rotated as T20Is clash with red-ball warm-up tie

Unlike the previous tour, Kohli will be returning home after leading the team in the Adelaide Test which is a day-night affair. He has been granted paternity leave from the BCCI for the birth of his first child. Buchanan feels that Kohli’s absence will be felt not only on the field but off it as well.

“Whoever replaces him - which is probably going to be Rahane - might be a good leader, but Kohli has something special about him. It’s not only on the field but they will also be missing him off the field, because it’s going to be a long tour,” said Buchanan.