A few days ago, during a YouTube podcast on Sky Sports Cricket at Lord’s. The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, revealed how he wanted to take the responsibility only because his eyes were on the uncut diamond, Virat Kohli. He reckoned that even though MS Dhoni was the Test leader, the Ranchi-born could get defensive at various moments of the game.

However, since Shastri became the coach and Dhoni’s retirement from the longest format pushed Virat Kohli to take the Indian captain’s role in the five-day format, the Blue Brigade saw a different charm and intensity. Kohli, during a recent charity event in London, expressed that he always had respect with the former spin all-rounder, who had the same dream as of him.

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“If I wasn't working with him, what happened in Test cricket wouldn't have been possible. The clarity that we had together, those PCs were where he took the bullets. I'll always have respect for him, for being a massive part of my cricket journey.” Kohli said during the function in the presence of many former teammates and opponent players.

‘I’ll always…”- Virat Kohli drops remark on coach Ravi Shastri

Kohli’s first assignment as red-ball leader came in Adelaide during the BGT 2014-15 when Dhoni decided to skip the opening fixture due to injury. His first series as full-time captain came in Sri Lanka in 2015, which they won by a 2-1 margin. Later, they continued their dominance at home against various countries.

The biggest change in Indian Test cricket came when they won their very first red-ball series in Australia during the BGT 2018-19 in the absence of Australia’s two veteran players, David Warner and Steve Smith. They went to England and challenged them in 2018, besides carrying the legacy in South Africa.

Even in Kohli’s absence, Shastri and his army won the BGT 2020-21 with a 2-1 margin, which was again another golden chapter in their career. Kohli’s intensity was at the highest level during the 2021 Lord’s Test and later at the Kennington Oval fixture in the same series. Now, both have left their respective jobs. Kohli’s comment has just freshened up the history of how their bond earned success in the red-ball format for India.