Indian captain Virat Kohli believes that Test cricket will remain healthy and relevant if India takes the lead and prioritise it. Kohli also said that considering India's fan base all across the globe, he dreams of making India a superpower in Test cricket.
"I wouldn't say goal but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come. I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world," Kohli told Star Sports.
Kohli also said that one should not only focus on the shorter formats as it will then become a mental problem for younger cricketers learning the game and coming through the system.
Cannot solely focus on shorter formats
"If we focus too much on shorter formats - yes, they're important - but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there'll start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up," he added.
Kohli, who became the first Asian captain to win a Test series in Australia, says that the current crop of cricketers have to be driven to make Test cricket vibrant and the players need to be motivated every day to do the dirty work for the side.
"As long as you're willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work - if you're willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team - I think that is what people should prepare [for]. And that will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following," he said.
Speaking about the influence of Ravi Shastri on his captaincy prowess, Kohli acknowledged that he has always been one to pass on honest reviews which have made him grow as a captain and leader. The Kohli-Shastri combination is forever under the scrutiny, especially after the ouster of Ravi Shastri from the role.
Shastri may be viewed as a yes-man, but for the skipper, he strikes the perfect balance in the team and knows a lot about the game which benefits the side.
"I think he's struck the perfect balance for this team. And he's the one person who was there when we were No. 7 [in the rankings] in 2014. He was there and you know the transition started under him. And we started feeding off that mindset and started bringing that in, which I could eventually go out there and boost more [on the field]. But I think it was his vision for us to be fearless and play a certain kind of cricket, which I think he deserves a lot of credit for," the captain said.
