'MS Dhoni backed players, Virat Kohli kept the core intact' - Kaif on how Indian duo defined era of legacy in Tests

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif elaborated on why the likes of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli were able to succeed as captains of the Test team for a longer duration of time. While Dhoni became the first captain to take the Indian team to No. 1 in ICC Test Rankings, Kohli went one step further, as India remained the No. 1 Test side for four consecutive years under his astute leadership. 

Kaif highlighted how with Dhoni at the helm, players in the team felt well-protected from selectors and comfortable to express themselves. Kaif even mentioned how the Ranchi-born utilized the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha to form a deadly spin attack, especially in home conditions.

"Do you know why Dhoni and Kohli became such great captains? Dhoni first backed the players [during selection], created an environment where the players felt comfortable and then backed them during matches. He had such deep knowledge of reading the back that he built his team accordingly. He used Ashwin, Jadeja and even Pragyan, and all of them took wickets. When Dhoni captained the Indian team, there was a presence which gave a big advantage," stated Kaif in a video posted on his X account. 

Moving onto Kohli, Kaif underscored how the ace batter's bowler-centric mentality made him the favourite captain of the Indian pacers back in the time. The Uttar Pradesh-born further noted how India were able to dominate Test matches at home as well as away due to Kohli's commanding style of captaincy, something India missed under Rohit Sharma and now Shubman Gill as well.

"Virat Kohli went one step ahead of Dhoni. His aggression used to come out when the team was in trouble. Kohli used to tell his bowlers, 'If you want to play, then you have to take 20 wickets. Else, don't come to the ground'. You know, Kohli has lost two Test matches at home, he captained in 31 Test matches. Kohli believed in keeping the core intact," he added.

While Dhoni retired from international cricket a long time ago, Kohli is still active in the 50-over format. The two had met recently at the 44-year-old's residence in Ranchi ahead of the first One-Day International against South Africa, which will be played here.

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