IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli a Great Leader But Still Work in Progress as Captain -VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman said Virat Kohli leads by example as far as work ethic is concerned but tends to be a bit defensive in field settings besides the issue of changing the squad too often.
Former India batsman VVS Laxman feels that Virat Kohli’s captaincy is still work in progress. Laxman, at the same time also wants the Indian captain to chop and change the squad a little less for greater stability.
Laxman while describing Kohli as a perfect role model for his teammates, said he leads by example as far as work ethic is concerned but tends to be a bit defensive in field settings besides the issue of changing the playing XI too often.
“I think he has done a fantastic job for Team India as a Test match captain. If you see, for four years, the Indian team was the No. 1 Test-playing nation in world cricket. Only this year, Australia took over as the No. 1 Test-playing nation.
“What I really like is that he leads by example and that’s what you want to see from a leader. The way he creates the value system, the way he creates the culture within the team. I mentioned so many times, the intensity and the body language he shows when he’s on the field, whether he’s batting or fielding, I think he leads by example and that is so infectious.
“Yes, there have been certain things which he requires to improve and as we all know, till you hang your boots, everyone requires to introspect and get better. There’s still work-in-progress as far as captaincy is concerned,” Laxman said on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’.
The former batsman further speaking on the areas captain Kohli could make certain changes in his captaincy for better results, said, “Couple of things I think Virat Kohli can improve. When we covered the Indian team matches, there were certain times when I felt that he becomes little defensive, especially with his field changes.
“When a new batsman comes in and two quality spinners are bowling, he has a fielder in the deep, allowing the batsman to easily get his eye in and probably rotate the strike. So, sometimes probably that is one thing which I feel Virat Kohli can improve on,” Laxman said.
“The second thing is chopping and changing the playing 11. With experience, I can say that any player, whether experienced or a newcomer, wants that stability, security so that he can focus on performing to the best of his abilities for the team. That’s something which Virat Kohli can definitely improve on,” Laxman added.
